LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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HAND-BOOK 



OF 



Bible Peography. 

BY/ 

Rev GEORGE H. WHITNEY, D.D. 

T WELFTH TIIO USA ND. 



SBVISED EUXTIO^ 



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NEW YORK : E A TON & MAINS. 
CINCINNATI: CURTS & JENNINGS. 






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43257 



Copyright, 1871, by CARLTON & LANAHAN. 



Copyright, 1899, by GEORGE H. WHITNEY. 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED, 







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PREFACE. 



Sacred Geography and Sacred History are inseparably connected. Geo- 
graphical allusions abound in every part of the Holy Scriptures. The 
" Lands of the Bible " are the living monuments of the Divine authenticity 
of the Book which speaks of their mountains and plains, of their rivers and 
pools, their cities, their peoples, and their tombs. Within the past few years 
Christian scholars of various lands have given a new impulse to the explo- 
ration of sacred localities, and thus has been illustrated more forcibly than 
ever before the connection between the two great branches of Bible study 
above indicated. 

The places mentioned in Scripture were once by many considered as be- 
yond the sphere of the merely scientific explorer. Their soil must be pressed 
by the feet only of priest-ruled devotees, and their holy relics touched only 
by believers who accept every thing and question nothing. Thus " sacred 
places " multiplied, and sites both true and false became mingled in indis- 
tinguishable confusion. The same theory had already obtained in reference 
to the books of the Bible. Concerning the books, however, it was long ago 
determined that the records of those who claimed to write as they were in- 
spired by the Holy Ghost might be and should be judged, as were the works 
of all other authors, by every method known to criticism. Thus far the 
books have stood the test, and now it is still further desired by the en- 
lightened believer in the Bible that the sacred volume shall continue to be 
tested by modern exploration and discovery amid the sites of Scripture 
lands. 

Profane history speaks to us to-day with an emphasis made doubly strong 
by the unearthing of some of the identical sites concerning which its records 
were made. Nearly two thousand years ago the volcano of Italy buried 
several splendid cities beneath its rain of death. History made the record, 
and for centuries their site was lost. Yesterday strong arms went out with 
spade and pick; to-day the streets of Pompeii, its forum, suburbs, baths, 
dwellings, and theaters, its people and their customs, are all before our gaze. 
Classic art, long buried, is lifted out of her ashy grave, and steps forth from 
her winding-sheet of fire. So, too, the forum of ancient Rome, the palace 
of the Caesars, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Punic and other edifices 
of Africa, are dug up, and compelled to speak out in attestation of the veracity 
of those who penned their annals. 

Sacred localities must be treated thus. Many of them have already been 
thus explored. All Palestine is a land of ruins; it is pre-eminently the 
Memorial Land. Its hill-tops, covered with heaps of stone, are so many 
Mizpehs that " witness " the partings of pious chieftains and the assemblies 
of the people of God. Its plains, claimed as once " folds for flocks " and aj 



6 PREFACE. 

gardens for "roses" — long ago blasted by the presence of the oppressor- 
to-day teach with equal force the accuracy of the historian and the inspira- 
tion of the prophet. The dwelling-places of the tribes, the cities set upon 
a hill, the hamlets that nestled among the fastnesses of the rocks? the 
" water-courses," now choked with the rubbish of centuries, have all left 
their traces of the heaven-chosen people that built them. More impressive 
than all is the geography of the Holy City itself, as it is delineated by 
Psalmists, Prophets, Apostles, and by our blessed Lord, in their prayers 
and hymns, in their warnings and their wanderings. But there are other 
sites and other peoples besides those of Palestine of which we take cogni- 
zance. The seats of primeval life — the " garden " where first God's voice 
was heard on earth; the "plain" chosen by sinful man whereon to build 
the monument of his fall ; the palaces and temples dedicated to false gods ; 
the exceeding great cities of earliest civilization, Babylon, Nineveh, Susa, 
Zoan, Memphis, Tyre, and Zidon, and many scores of other cities, together 
with the customs of their people, the we. 1 Is they digged, the walls they 
reared, and the tombs their heroes filled — all these share our consideration. 

While it is certainly cause of gratulation to American students of the 
Bible that the pioneer in modern researches in the Holy Land was our own 
learned and lamented Dr. Robinson, yet it is with the sincerest gratitude 
that we here make mention of the London Society, known as the " Palestine 
Exploration Fund," whose efforts have accomplished so much in Jerusalem, 
and which give promise of results equally important throughout Western 
Palestine. Since the first edition of this Hand-book was published, explora- 
tions and discoveries of great importance have also been made in the Sina- 
itic peninsula by Professor E. H. Palmer, and in Moab by Tristram ; while 
the thorough survey of Eastern Palestine has been begun by the Ameri- 
can Palestine Exploration Society. The results reached by these various 
researches are noted in this edition. 

The present volume proposes to bring the geography of the sacred record 
within reach of the great mass of Bible readers and students to whom the 
larger and more costly Biblical Dictionaries and Cyclopaedias are inaccessible. 
It contains the name, pronunciation, and meaning (as far as ascertainable) 
of every place, nation, and tribe mentioned in both the canonical and apocry- 
phal Scriptures, with historical and descriptive notes. 

Very many sites in Bible Lands have been clearly identified, others are 
yet wholly unknown, and concerning a few others contradictory theories 
exist among the best geographers. These different theories are, in a number 
of instances, presented side by side in these pages. It has been the author's 
aim not to establish particular theories, but to arrive at the truth. 

So far as practicable each article is based on the following analysis : 
1. Name. 2. Number of map where found. 3. Meaning. 4. Situation. 5. Bible 
allusions. 6. Bible events. 1. Modern name, condition, etc. The best au- 
thorities have been consulted, and the latest information concerning the 
various localities, is here recorded. This information has been obtained 
not only from published statements, but also in many cases from the lips of 
travelers fresh from the sites herein described. 

The numerous attractive maps, which have been lithographed expressly 
for this volume, together with the many engravings, will be found invalu- 
able aids to the student. No other book, it is believed, contains within the 
same space so much information, with illustrates so complete concerning 



PREFACE. 7 

the Important subject of which it treats. As a special instance showing the 
connection between History and Geography, the reader is leferred to tho 
article on Jerusalem, which contains an account of the recent excavations 
made in the Holy City. 

A list of the principal works consulted in the preparation of this Hand- 
book, and for the use of which the writer now makes his earnest acknowledg- 
ment, is here appended: 

Ayre's "Treasury of Bible Knowledge;" Dr. Burt's "The Land and its 
Story ; " Dr. Butler's " St. Paul in Rome ; " Dr. Barclay's " City of the Great 
King;" " Baker's Ismailia; " " Bibliotheca Sacra;" Conybeare and How- 
son's "Life of St. Paul;" Clark's "Bible Atlas," with Grove's "Index;" 
Dr. Durbin's "Observations in the East;" De Lanoye's " Rameses the 
Great;" "Early Travels in Palestine;" Farrar's " Life of Christ; : ' Gib- 
bon's " Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ; " Gesenius's " Hebrew 
Lexicon; " Dr. Hanna's "Life of our Lord;" Herzog's "Encyclopaedia; " 
Inglis's "Bible Text Cyclopaedia; " Josephus's "Works; " Kitto's "Biblical 
Cyclopaedia," "Scripture Lands," and "History of the Bible;" Keil's 
"Commentary;" Kiepert's "Map of Palestine;" Layard's "Nineveh:" 
Lewin's "Life and Epistles of St. Paul; " M'Clintock and Strong's " Cyclo- 
paedia ; " Macgregor's "Rob Roy on the Jordan;" Newman's "Thrones 
and Palaces of Babylon and Nineveh; " " Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem;" 
Dr. Olin's "Travels ;" Paine's "Tabernacle and the Temple; " Dr. Porter's 
" Hand-book for Syria and Palestine " and " Giant Cities of Bashan ; " Rit- 
ter's "Geography of Palestine." (Gage's translation;) Dr. Robinson's "Bib- 
lical Researches " and " Greek Lexicon of the New Testament ; " Rawson's 
"Bible Hand-book; " Dr. Smith's " Dictionary cf the Bible " and " Classical 
Dictionary ; " Dr. Strong's " Harmony of the Gospels ; " Smith's (S.) " Tem- 
ple and the Sepulcher; " Dr. Stanley's "Sinai and Palestine " and "History 
of the Jewish Church; " " Statements of the Palestine Exploitation Fund; " 
"Statements of the American Palestine Exploration Society; " Tristram's 
"Land of Israel." and " The Land of Moab; " Thomson's " The Land and 
the Book;" Tischendorf's "Septuagint; " "The Desert of the Exodus;" 
Van de Velde's " Map of Palestine ; " Wheeler's " Geography of Herodotus." 

The Author here takes occasion to express his warmest thanks fcr the 
many valuable suggestions received, during the several years' labor bestowed 
upon this volume, from the Rev. J. H. Vincent, D.D., at whose solicitation 
the work was undertaken. 

To Pastors, as a convenient book of reference for the study-table; to 
Superintendents, Teachers, and Sunday-school scholars, as also to the gen- 
eral reader, this Hand-book of Bible Geography is offered with a sincere 
desire and the humble hope that it may in some measure assist in the better 
understanding: of that Sacred Volume whose truths it aims to illustrate. 

G. H. W. 

Hackettstown, N. J., November, 1881. 



8 LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. 



LIST OF FULL PAGE ENGRAVINGS. 



Pact 

Plan of Jerusalem in the time of Solomon 2 

Antakia (Antioch in Syria) 24 

The Areopagus (or Mar's Hill) and Acropolis 30 

Athens Restored, as seen from the Pnyx 33 

Babylon (restored) 43 

Birs-Nimrud 47 

Bethlehem 64 

Mount Carmel 82 

Corinth Restored, as viewed from the Acrooorinthus 92 

Damascus 97 

The Pyramids 112 

Pylons and Portico of a Great Temple (restored according to the 

Egyptian Commission) 116 

Temple of Diana (restored) 124 

Theater at Ephesus 127 

The Sea of Galilee 140 

Mosque at Hebron (Machpelah) and part of the Town 173 

Plan of Ancient Jerusalem 194 

Solomon's Temple (according to Rev. T. 0. Paine) To face 197 

Herod's Temple (according to Rev. T. 0. Paine) 204 

Mosques in the Haram Inclosure at Jerusalem 226 

Plans Illustrating Excavations at Jerusalem 233 

Jaffa [Ancient Japho or Joppa) 248 

Bathing Places of Pilgrims on the Jordan. 254 

Wilderness of Kadesh 261 

The Monastery of Mar Saba — Gorge of the Kidron 272 

The Grand Range of Lebanon 280 

Ludd, (Ancient Lydda) — Ruins of the Church of St. George 288 

Nazareth 325 

Neby Yunus, Koyunjik, and Ruins opposite Mosul 334 

View of Thebes (restoi'ed) during the Inundation 340 

Palestine from the Mediterranean 350 

Profile Sections of Palestine 354 

Isle of Patmos, with the Harbor of La Scala and the Town of 

Patino 367 

Persepolis 372 

View from Jebel Tahuneh 395 

The Colossus at Rhodes 399 

The Dead Sea — View from 'Ain Jidy (En-Gedi) looking South 421 

Longitudinal Section of the Dead Sea from North to South 425 

Nablous (Ancient Shechem) 436 

The Nile — The Speos of Ibsamboul 444 

The Ras Sufsafeh from the Plain of Er Rahah 448 

Sections of Jebel Musa and Jebel Serbal 452 

Mount Tabor 461 

Tarsus 466 

Ruins of Tyke, 480 



LIST OF FULL PAGE MAPS. 



Pages 

No. 1. Scripture World 16, 17 

No. 2. Egypt and the Wilderness 50, 51 

No. 3. Canaan in Patriarchal Ages 76 

No. 4. Dominions op David and Solomon 105 

No. 5. The Holy Land 156, 157 

No. 6. Environs of Jerusalem 210 

No. 7. Modern Jerusalem 216 

No. 8. Travels of St. Paul 264, 265 

Nos. 9-11. Jerusalem at three Epochs 222, 223 

No. 12. Gentile Nations 302, 303 

No. 13. The Dominions of Solomon 358 

No. 14. Kingdoms of Judah and Israel 359 

No. 15. Territory of Asmonean Kings 359 

Nos. 16-1 9. The Pour Empires 410, 411 

No. 20. The Gospel History 470 

No. 21. The Sea of Galilee 471 

Nos. 22-32. The Tabernacle and the Temple 240, 241 



-♦♦♦- 



ARABIC GLOSSARY. 



The following Arabic words occur 

Abu, father. 

'Ain, pi. 'Ayfin, fountain. 

Ard, plain. 

Bab, door; gate. 

Bahr, sea. 

Balad, village. 

Bakshish, present. 

Beit, pi. Buyut, house. 

Beldd, district. 

Bir, well. 

BirJceh, pi. Burdk, pool. 

Bevr, convent. 

Emir, pi. Umarti, prince. 

ElrGhor, valley — the name applied to 
the northern part of the Jordan 
Valley. The southern continuation 
of the same valley is called El- 
Arabah. 

lbn, pL Beni, son. 

Jdmi'a, mosque. 

Jebel, pi. Jibdl, mountain. 

Jisr, bridge. 

Ka'a, plain. 

Kabr, pi. KubUr, sepulcher. 

Kddy, judge. 



in various parts of this volume . 
Kefr, village. 
Khan, caravansary. 
Khurbeh, a ruin. 
Kubbeh, dome. 
Kurn, pi. Kur&n, a horn. 
KuVah, castle. 
Kusr, castle. 
Mar, saint. 

Merj, pi. Muruj, meadow. 
Mihrab. prayer-niche. 
Moslem, Mohammedan. 
Nahr, pi. Arthur, river. 
Nakhleh, pi. Nukhl, palm-tree. 
Neby, prophet. 
Neb 1 a, fountain. 
Nukb, pass. 
Rds, head, cape. 
Seldm, peace. 

Sheikh, Shuyukh, chief, elder. 
Tell, pi. Tuliil, dim. Tuleil, hiLL 
Tin, fig. 

Turfa, tamarisk. 
Urn, mother. 

Wddy, valley, water-courso. 
Wely, saint's *omb. 



A CONCISE CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 



A. U. B. 0. 

The creation of the world 4004 

056 Birth of Noah 2948 

1656 The deluge 2348 

2008 Birth of Abraham 1996 

2083 Call of Abraham 1921 

210T Cities of the Plain destroyed 1897 

2108 Birth oflsaac 1S96 

2168 Birth of Jacob 1836 

2298 Jacob and his family go into Egypt 1706 
2433 Birth ofMoses 1571 

2513 The Exodus ' 1491 

2514 The giving of the law 1490 

2553 Entrance of Israel into Canaan.. 1451 

2561 Death of Joshua 1443 

2909 Appointment of Saul asking.... 1095 
2949 Accession of David as king of Ju- 

dah 1055 

2956 David king over all Israel 1048 

2959 David captures Jerusalem 1045 

2990 Accession of Solomon 1015 

3001 Dedication of the temple 1004 

The dates above given are according to Arch- 
bishop Usher •, the following are according to 
Winer. 

Accession of Eehoboam, ) a7 - 

Jeroboam I., f "* yi ° 

Abijam 957 

Asa 955 

Nadab 954 

Baasha 953 

Elah 930 

Zimri, } q oe 

Omri, Tibni, f ^ b 

Ahab 918 

Jehoshaphat 914 

Ahaziah of Israel 897 

Joram of Israel 896 

Joram of Judah 889 

Ahaziah of Judah 8S5 

Jehu, i 8q4 

Athaliah, j OB * 

Joash of Judah 878 

Jehoahaz of Israel 856 

Joash of Israel 840 

Amaziah 83S 

Jeroboam II 825 

Uzziah 809 

Zachariah 772 

Shallum, ) 

Menahem, J ' • * 

Pekahiah 760 

Pekah, J - 

Jothain, J ™ 

Ahaz 741 

Hoshea 729 

Hezekiah 725 

Samaria taken, and the kingdom of Israel 

ended 721 

Accession of Manasseh 696 

Amon 641 

Josiah 689 

Jehoahaz of Judah, J flAO 

Jehoiakim, f ••*• 0UJ 

Jehoiachin, ) KQ q 

Zedekiah, J" oys 



B. O. 

Jerusalem taken, and J ndah carried cap- 
tive to Babylon 588 

Eeturn of the Jews under Zerubbabel, 
according to the decree of Cyrus. .. 536 

The second temple begun 534 

Death of Cyrus 529 

Accession of Darius Hystaspis to the 

throne of Persia 521 

The temple finished and dedicated 51 6 

Accession of Xerxes , 4S5 

Ar taxerxes Longimanus 465 

Ezra proceeds to Jerusalem 458 

Nehemiah appointed governor 445 

Death of Darius Codomannus, the last 
king of Persia, and end of the Per- 
sian monarchy 830 

Death of Alexander the Great 323 

Antiochus Epiphanes obtains the crown 

of Syria 17c 

The statue of Jupiter Olympus set up 

in the temple at Jerusalem 167 

The temple cleansed by Judas Maccabeus 164 
Jonathan succeeds his brother Judas 

Maccabeus 161 

Simon succeeds Jonathan . 143 

and establishes Jewish freedom 142 

John Hyrcanus succeeds 135 

Aristobulus I., first of the Asmonean 

family who had the title of king 107 

Alexander Jannaeus 105 

Alexandra 79 

Hyrcanus II 70 

Aristobulus II 69 

Hyrcanus restored 63 

Antigonus ) 

Herod, called the Great, declared king V 40 

of Judea by the Koman Senate... ) 
Herod begins to rebuild the temple at 

Jerusalem .. .. 21 

Birth of Jesus Christ 6(?) 

Death of Herod 4 

A. D. 

Archelaus dethroned, ) g 

Insurrection of Judas of Galilee, J 

Death of Augustus Caesar - 14 

Pontius Pilate procurator of Judea. ... 25 
The Crucifixion 31(?) 

The dates of the birth and death of our Lord 
are variously given by different chronologers. 

Pontius Pilate deprived of his govern- 
ment 86 

Death of Tiberius: Caligula becomes 

Emperor - 37 

Conversion of St. Paul 88 

Herod Antipas banished to Gaul 39 

Claudius Emperor : 41 

Death of Herod Agrippa 1 44 

Council of apostles and elders in Jeru- 
salem 51 

Felix procurator of Judea 52 

Death of Claudius : Nero Emperor 54 

61 

Vespasian Emperor 69 

Jerusalem taken by Titus 70 



BIBLE GEOGEAPHY. 



-•♦♦- 



Ah' ana, (Map 5,) stony, (marg. Am' ana,) a river of Damascus. "Top 
of Amana," Sol. Song iv, 8. It was called by the Greeks Chrysot- 
rhoas, " golden stream." Rising in the Anti-Libanus, near Zcbddjiy, and pass- 
ing by the site of ancient Abila, it flows through the city of Damascus. 
From the main stream, which runs through the city, no less than seven 
large canals are taken at different elevations, to irrigate the surrounding 
orchards and gardens. Leaving the noted Assyrian ruin Tell es-Salaldyeh 
on its left bank, after a course of fifty miles it loses itself in the lake or 
marsh Bahret elrKibliyeh. It is one of the rivers which the proud Naaman 
preferred to the waters of Israel, 2 Kings v, 12. It is identified as the mod- 
ern Barada. Mr. Porter calculates that not less than fourteen villages and 
150,000 souls are dependent on this important river. A thrilling and deeply 
interesting account of Abana has recently been given by J. Macgregor, M.A., 
who in his well-known craft, the " Rob Roy," explored the river from the 
mountains of Lebanon to Lake Ateibeh. 

Ab'arim, (Map 5,) (regions) beyond. In Jer. xxii, 20, the name signifies 
the "passages" A chain of mountains east of Jordan. Peor, Nebo, and 
Pisgah belong to it. Pisgah is a ridge, Nebo a peak. Moses died there, 
Deut. xxxiv, 1, 5. It affords a splendid prospect, xxxiv, 1, 3. Other allu- 
sions, Num. xxi, 20; xxvii, 12; xxxiii, 47, 48; Deut. xxxii, 49. "Field 
of Zophim on top of Pisgah," where Balaam prophesied, Num. xxiii, 14. 

Ab'don, servile, a Levitical city of Asher, Josh, xxi, 30 ; 1 Chron. vi, 74. 
It is probably identical with the ruined site Abdeh, eight or nine miles north- 
east of Accho. 

A'bel. In 1 Sam. vi, 18, "the great stone of Abel, whereon they set 
down the ark of the Lord." It was near Beth-Shemesh. The word thus 
translated " the great Abel " signifies meadow, or mourning. The alteration 
of a letter would make it " the great stone ; " and this is in accordance with 
the context, (14, 15.) The term is used almost exclusively with some ad- 
junct, to be supplied if not expressed, as in 2 Sam. xx, 14, 18. 

A'bel, and A'bel-Beth-Ma'achah, (Map 5,) meadow of the house of Maa- 
chah, a town in the north of Palestine, near Dan. It is called Abel-Maim 
(meadow of water) in 2 Chron. xvi, 4. Sheba fled to it and was slain, 2 Sam. 
xx, 14-18. It was spoiled by Ben-Hadad, 1 Kings xv, 20 ; 2 Chron. xvi, 4. 
It was taken by Tiglath, 2 Kings xv, 29. Probably it is identical with the 
modern Abil-el-Karub, in the region of the upper Jordan, near Dan. 

A'bel-Kera'mim, meadoiv of vineyards, a place east of the Jordan, whither 
the victorious Jephthah pursued the invading Ammonites with great slaugh- 
ter, Judg. xi, 33. Probably the place of the present ruins of Merj Ekkeh 
^'See M'Clintock and Strong's Cyclopedia.) 

Abel-Maim. See Abel. 



12 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

A bel-MehoTaii, (Map 13,) meadow of dancing, a place in or near the 
valley of the Jordan northward, Judg. vii, 22 ; 1 Kings iv, 12. The orig- 
inal residence of Elisha, 1 Kings xix, 16-19. Perhaps the spot now occupied 
by the ruins of Khurbet esh-Shuk. 

A'bel-Miz'raim, meadow, or, probably, mourning of the Egyptians, a place 
generally considerod to be east of the Jordan, where Joseph mourned for 
his father, Gen. 1, 11. Jerome identifies the place with Beth Hoglah, on the 
west bank of the river : it is more likely to have been south of Hebron, but 
its site is unknown. See Atad. 

A'bel-Shit'tim, (Map 2,) Acacia meadow, the last station of the Israelites 
before entering Canaan, Num. xxxiii, 49 ; in the low level of Moab by 
the Jordan. Generally called Shittim, Num. xxv, 1; Josh, ii, 1. Acacia 
groves still remain in the vicinity, but there is no town. 

A'bez, whiteness, luster, or tin, a town of Issachar, near the border, Josh, 
xix, 20. Probably it is Kunebiz, called also Karm en- Abie, which lies three 
English miles south-west of Iksal. Possibly, however, it may be a corrup- 
tion of Thebez, now T&bds, not far from Engannim and Shunem. 

Ab'ila, (probably the same as Abel,) a grassy place. A city called Abila 
of Lysanias, to distinguish it from other Syrian cities of the same name. It 
is in the center of the Anti-Libanus, eighteen Roman miles from Damas- 
cus, on the road to Heliopolis or Baalbec, and was the capital of Abilene. 
Its site has been identified with Suk- Wady-Barada, a small village on the 
right bank of the river Barada, the ancient Abana, which breaks just by 
through a picturesque mountain gorge. Inscriptions have been found here ; 
and there are the remains of a tomb called Kabr Habil, " the tomb of Abil." 
Abila was in Christian times a bishop's see, and was sacked by the Moslems 
6S4 A.D. 

Abile'ne, (Map 20,) father of the apartment, or of mourning, a small district 
of Palestine, among the eastern declivities of Anti-Libanus, described 
Luke iii, 1, as under the government of Lysanias when John the Baptist 
commenced his ministry. It is hardly possible to determine its exact limits. 
Abila was its capital. See Abila. 

Ab'salom's Pillar, (Map 7,) the father of peace, a monument in memory 
of Absalom in the valley of Kidron or the King's Dale, 2 Sam. xviii, 18. It 
is twenty-four feet square at the base, and forty feet high. It is ornamented 
on each side with two columns and two half-columns of the Ionic order, 
with pilasters at the corners. To the top of the architrave, eighteen feet, it 
is cut from the rock ; above this, mason work of large stones rises about 
twenty feet, making a total elevation of about forty feet. Its present Mo- 
hammedan name is Tantur Faraon. 

Ac'cad, fortress, (some say a bond,) one of the four cities said to be the 
beginning of Nimrod s kingdom, Gen. x, 10. Its location cannot be identifie J 
accurately. Perhaps Nisibin, the ancient Nisibis, on the Khabour river, 
marks the site. But Rawlinson considers Akkad the name of the primitive 
Hamite race, whose original seat was Babylonia, and from whose language 
was derived the trunk Shemitic stream of tongues ; and locates this city at 
about seven miles west by north of Bagdad, where there is now a vast pile 
of ruins with the name of Aker Kuff. 

Ac'caron, 1 Mace, x, 89. The Greek form of Ekron. 

Ac'cho, (Map 5,) heated sand ; or Ptolemais, now St. Jean d'Acre, a towc 
of Phenicia given to Asher. The Canaanites remained in it, Judg. i, 31. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 13 

The Church at Accho was visited by Paul, Acts xxi, 7. It i& now a place 
of some importance. See Ptolemais. 

Aceldama, (Map 7,) field of the blood, a piece of land originally called 
"The Potters' Field," which was purchased with the money given to Judas 
for betraying Christ, Matt, xxvii, 8; Acts i, 18, 19. Various spots have 
been supposed to be this field. That now bearing the name is on the south- 
ern face of the valley of the son of Hinnom, at the eastern end ; a ruined 
edifice stands on it. 

Achai'a, (Map 8,) grief trouble, noise, (derivation uncertain,) a region of 
Greece. The Churches in Achaia visited by Paul, Acts xvii; xix, 21; 
Rom. xvi, 5 ; 1 Cor. xvi, 15. They contributed to the saints at Jerusalem, 
Rom. xv, 26. For towns of, see Cenchrea, Corinth. 

Ach'metha, (Map 1,) a city, or station, or fortress, (derivation uncertain,) a 
city of Persia. Cyrus's decree for rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem was 
found here, Ezra vi, 2. See Ecbatana. 

A'chor, (Map 5,) trouble, a valley near Jericho, where Achan was stoned; 
and from the trouble brought by Achan upon Israel it had its name, Josh, 
vii, 24, 26. Yet from that trouble, sanctified, a new career of victory began, 
Hosea ii, 15. See also Josh, xv, 7 ; Isa. lv, 10. It is now called Wady-el- 
Kelt. Perhaps the same as Cherith, 1 Kings xvii, 3-7. 

Ach'shaph, fascination, a city of Canaan, (Josh, xi, 1 ; xii, 20,) in the divis- 
ion of the land allotted to Asher, Josh, xix, 25. Perhaps it is the modern 
Kesdf on the northeast edge of the Hdleli, or it may be the same with the 
modern Ghaifa. 

Ach'zib, (Map 5,) deceit, falsehood, a town of Asher, Josh, xix, 29. Now 
Es-Zib. Another Achzib was in Judah, Josh, xv, 44; Micah i, 14. This 
probably is identical with Chezib, Gen. xxxviii, 5. 

Ac'ra, (Map 7,) a summit or citadel. An eminence north of the temple at 
Jerusalem. The Acropolis of Jerusalem. There is much controversy as 
to its precise location ; but the middle of the Mohammedan quarter seems 
the most probable site. 

Acrab'bim. See Maaleh-Acrabbim. 

Ad'adah, festival, according to some, boundary, a town in the extreme 
south of the portion of Judah, Josh, xv, 22. Probably identical with 'Ad- 
J adah, a ruin near Tuioeirah el Foka, south-west of the Dead Sea. 

Ad' am, red, red earth, a city near the Jordan, by whicli the waters were 
cut off when Israel passed over — beside Zaretan, Josh, hi, 16 ; 1 Kings vii, 46. 

Ad' amah, earth, (so called from its reddish color,) a fenced city of Naph- 
tali, Josh, xix, 36. Probably the same as that called Adami, (xix, 33,) a 
city near the border of Naphtali, between Zaanaim and Nekeb. 

Ad' ami, human, a place on the border of Naphtali, Josh, xix, 33. Un- 
known. See Nekeb. 

A'dar, greatness, splendor, a border town of Judah, Josh, xv, 3. It would 
eeem to be the same with Hazar-Addar, Num. xxxiv, 4 ; possibly } Ain el- 
Kudeirdt. 

Ad'asa, 1 Mace, vii, 40, 45 ; Josh, xv, 37, (called by Josephus Adazer, 
Adaco, Acodaco,) a town in the tribe of Judah, near which Judas Maccabeus 
vanquished and slew the Syrian general Nicanor. It was near Beth-horon, 
according to Josephus ; and according to Jerome, near Gophna. Some good 
puthorities think it possibly identical with Hadashah, which see. 

Ad' dan, humble, or, perhaps, lord, a place from which some who could 



14 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

not show their genealogy returned with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii, 59. In Neb, 
vii, 61 it is called Addon. 

Ad'ida, 1 Mace, xii, 38 ; xiii, 13 ; Ezra ii, 33 ; % fortified town built upon an 
eminence in the Sephela, not far from the Mediterranean, west of Beth-horon, 
and north-west of Jerusalem. Simon Maccabeus encamped near it during 
his war with Tryphon. It is possibly identical with Hadid and Adithaim. 

Aditha'im, double prey, or double ornament, a city in the plain country of 
Judah, Josh, xv, 36; mentioned between Sharaim and Gederah. Possibly 
identical with Adida and Hadid. 

Ad' man, earth, red earth, a city in the vale of Siddim, Gen. x, 19. In- 
vadsd by Chedorlaomer, Gen. xiv, 2. Destroyed with Sodom, Deut. xxix, 
23 ; Hosea xi, 8. It is conjectured to have been somewhere near the middle 
of the southern end of the Dead Sea. 

Ado'ra, 1 Mace, xiii, 20. Probably the same with Adoraim. 

Adora'im, (Map 5,) two mounds or dwellings, a city of Judah, which Reho- 
boam fortified, 2 Chron. xi, 9. Doubtless the modern Dura, five miles south- 
west from Hebron. 

Adramyt'tium, (Map 8,) the court of death, mansion of death, a sea-port of 
Mysia, Acts xxvii, 2-5. Now a village of some trade, called variously Edra- 
mit, Adramyt, Adrmyt. It contains about one thousand houses. 

Adria, (Map 8,) or Adriatic Sea, Acts xxvii, 27 ; a part of the Mediter- 
ranean Sea. The modern Gulf of Venice. In Paul's time it included the 
whole waters between Greece, Italy, Sicily, and Africa, though sometimes 
the southern part was distinguished as the Ionian Sea, the northern as 
Adria. Probably derived its name from Adria, a city in Istria. 

Adul'lam, their testimony, justice of the people (?) a cave near the Dead Sea, 
in which David hid, 1 Sam. xxii, 1; 2 Sam. xxiii, 13; 1 Chron. xi, 15. Dr. 
Thomson describes a cavern at Khureitun between Bethlehem and the Dead 
Sea, where tradition places Adullam. 

Adul'lam, (Map 5,) (id.,) an ancient city in the plain country of Judah, 
once the seat of a Canaanitish king, Gen. xxxviii, 1, 12, 20 ; Josh, xii, 15 ; 
15, 35 ; Micah i, 15. It was fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 7. After 
the captivity it was occupied by the Jews, Neh. xi, 30, and was still a city 
in the time of the Maccabees, 2 Mace, xii, 38. Probably Adullam was from 
six to ten miles north-east of Eleutheropolis, but it has not been identified. 

Adum'mim, the red, or bloody, (place,) or, according to some, the red- 
haired men. " The going up," or pass " of Adummim," was a rising ground 
on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. It was, and is, the resort of rob- 
bers. On the border between Benjamin and Judah, Josh, xv, 7 ; xviii, 17 ; 
compare Luke x, 30-36. It seems to have been on the south face of the 
gorge of the Wady el- Kelt. 

iE'non, springs, the place where John baptized, " near to Salim," John 
iii, 23. Located by some at Salim, near Gerizim; by Dr. Barclay at Wady 
Far ah, fiva miles north-east of Jerusalem. A wady is close by, resembling 
it in name — Wady Seleim. The site is still uncertain. 

Aha'va, (Map 1,) water, a place, or a river, or perhaps a district, where '.he 
Jewish exiles assembled who accompanied Ezra to Jerusalem, Ezra viii, 15, 
21, 31. Yarious localities have been suggested; possibly it may be the 
modern Hit on the Euphrates, east of Damascus, anciently called Ihi or Hil- 
da- Kir a. 

Ah'lab, fatness, fertility, a place in the territory of Asher, from which the 




H 



CLASSI FICATI ON or theBIBLE LANDS 

MTHYDTSTRTCTS . 

firstDistrict.. North andEaet of Hie Euphrates 

AHMEN^MEDlAPARTH(ft,PE[»SlA,CHAU>EA,MESOPOTA«lA,A8SYRIA 
SecondDistnct iBetweentheEuphrates audtheMouitorrar.ean. 

■ ARABIA.PHIUSTtA.CARAAN.PHENlCIA.SYRlA. 
TjiirdDistriot: South of theMeditorranegn. 

ARABIA.EGYPT.UBTA. 
Fourd^Dimrict yorthafth*lfed)tsrranean. 
SPA1N1TALV,6REECEASIAMIN0R. 

2^BVTTTSTOBICASSOCLMraNS 
lJ..and8oftKebegiamn<i:ARMENLA,CHALDEA.MES0P0TA«IA. 
2 J-andofHebrev.' bondage EGYPT. 
SiandofHohi«w-wandain^ : ARABIA PETRAEA 
-ITLiohaniaf Promise: CANAAN. 

3.TlieXandsoftheJeTOshwars:PHILIST!A,SYRIA,ARABiA. 
6 Th«lai\d!i of the Csftivitiea : ASSYRI A , BABYLON I A 
7,TheLands of Cyrus IheEmanripalor. MEDIA PERSIA. 
8.The lands ol&uiDwpersion. Se&sl*ts 7J . 

MEASUREMENTS. 

or MASJLAHES fciUVEBS. orMCT.OT.AOJB Eit op DBTANCKfemiJJCE 

^Mediterr-'txiearLSea.. auteityitMiveJhtUterrrwecu, 
fin Gibraltar to t^na.-SiiOD j».Ararat ft 37.323 
MaltataMcxandria, ..980 1 lebanon . 10.0S1 
HodSeo. - -t/u (tu/f°rSuez..-. - 180 -Harmon 
tlu6nZfof/tkoJ>ah .105 I . Serbal 



MAP N9 I 



©KMnPHMl^ME 



Tfcijoru galem to 
Cairo . ... 26©*to!<v 
Thebes .. 4S0 



9.376 i Cyrene . 
Malta.. 



790 



t/ieJlai-Scajmy>rr 1160 

fceadSea luiglh 4T»u/tA&-9 

Seaot'OaEleo 14 5-7 

Black Soa ,. , .725 225 

CaspianSea _ -S80 190 

AdnaticSea. .,..460 105 

ThottiverNilo 36O0 

Tigris JIS0 

Xophtates 1700 
. Jordan 23 7 

16 



Sinai. . 
Olivot 
Zion. . 
Mariah 
Camtel . 

. Giluad 

. Hor 



1240 

8.S93 j Borne 14S0* 

26&SJ .Afliena . .780 
2.SS0 j Corinlh .. 830 

2440 I BabyJon S60 

1.800 J Sinew* .- 57* 

.000| Vr. 43S 

MtSinai. . 



HUNT &. EATON, NEW YORK 



STATUTE MILES. 



Btlon-Jfi/ltUrnuuanl MVArarat. 
SekuMKadeo .663] 
DeadSoa ... 1.288 1 



760 



"^ 



J)iawuEngrao7BdJiilileletc.bj-(>Wr&: ZACdkwACTHfrvfaA 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 19 

Oanaanites were not driven out, Judg. i, 31. Supposed to be Gvsh- CTiahb, 
or Giscala, a place lately identified by Robinson under the name of el-Jish, 
near Safed. , 

Aho'lah, she has her own tent, a symbolical name for Samaria, Ezek. xxiii, 
4, 5, 36, 44. 

Ahol'ibah, my tent is in her, a symbolical name for Jerusalem, Ezek. xxiii, 
4, 11, 22, 36, 44. 

A'i, (Map 5,) mass or heap of ruins, a royal city of Palestine, but of no 
great size. It is mentioned (as Hai) in Abraham's time, Gen. xii, 8 ; xiii, 3, 
and was, after repulse before it, destroyed by the Israelites under Joshua, 
Josh, vii, 2-5 ; viii, 1-29 ; ix, 3 ; x, 2 ; xii, 9. It must, however, havo 
been afterward rebuilt. Aiath, Isa. x, 28, is probably identical with it; and 
the men of Ai are said to have returned from Babylon with ZerubbabeL 
Ezra ii, 28 ; Neh. vii, 32. Probably it is also the Aija repeopled by the 
Benjamites, Neh. xi, 31. It lay to the east of Bethel: but its site is still 
uncertain. Some think it may be at the Tell el-Haiyeh, or Tell tl-Hajar. 
Captain Wilson identifies it (1869) with El-Tell, "the heap." 

2. A town of the Ammonites near Heshbon, Jer. xlix, 3 ; but possibly the 
word here is not a proper name. 

Aij'alon, (Aj-alon.) See Ajalon. 

A'in, an eye, a spring, fountain. A place, or, more probably, a fountain, 
mentioned as one of the boundary marks of Canaan, Num. xxxiv, 11 ; to 
the east of which the line was to run. The ^Ain-eVAzy, the main source 
of the Orontes, is in the position indicated. But its identity with Ain is not 
fully established. 

2. A Levitical city in the territory assigned first to Judah, afterward to 
Simeon, Josh, xv, 32 ; xix, 7 ; xxi, 16 ; 1 Chron. iv, 32. Ashan in 1 Chron. 
vi, 59, and possibly En-Pimm on, Neh. xi, 29, may be the same place. The 
word Ain is joined with many names, as Ain-dor, and implies that thero 
was a great spring at that place. It is then spelt in our version En, as in 
Endor. 

Aj'alon, (Map 5,) a place of deer, or gazelles, a deer-field, a Levitical city of 
Dan, Josh, xix, 42. A city of refuge, Josh, xxi, 24; 1 Sam. xiv, 31 ; 1 Chron. 
vi, 69. The Amorites remained in it, Judg. i, 35 ; 1 Chron. viii, 13. Taken 
by Philistines, 2 Chron. xxviii, 18. Fenced by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 10. 
The celebrated valley must have been just at hand, Josh, x, 12. Ajalon is 
the modern Talo, on a long hill about fourteen miles from Jerusalem, ou the 
south side of a broad, fertile valley called Merj Ibn Omeir. 

2. A city in Zebulun where Elon the judge was buried, Judg. xii, 12, 
Probably the modern Jalun. 

Ak'aba, (Map 2,) the name of the eastern arm of the Red Sea. 

Akrab'bim, scorpions, the name of a pass, " Scorpion-pass," forming tho 
southern boundary of the land of Israel, Num. xxxiv, 4 ; Josh, xv, 3 ; Judg. 
i, 36. Near the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. Perhaps it is at the 
Wady es-Safieh. 

Al'ameth, 1 Chron. vii, 8. A less correct mode of anglicizing the name 
Alemeth. 

Alam'melech, king's oak, a town in the territory of Asher, Josh, xix, 26, 
mentioned between Achshaph and Amad. 

Al'ema, one of the fortified cities of Gilead, 1 Mace, v, 26. Probably the 
Beer-Elim of Isa. xv, 8. 



20 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

ATemeth, or Ale'meth, (Map 6,) covering, a town of Benjamin allotted to 
the priests, 1 Chron. vi, 60. In Josh, xxi, 18 it is called * Almon. It has 
been identified with 'Almit or 'Almuth, near to 'Anata, the ancient Anathoth. 

Alexandria, (Map 1,) named from its founder, Alexander the Great. 
(A.\exsmderz=man-defender.) A city of Egypt. Men of Alexandria disputed 
here with Stephen, Acts vi, 9. Its ships, Acts xxvii, 6; xxviii, 11. Birth- 
place of Apollos, xviii, 24. For a long period it was the greatest of known 
cities, for Nineveh and Babylon had fallen, and Rome had not yet risen to 
pre-eminence. It is now an important place, with about sixty thousand 
inhabitants. 

Al'lon, an oak, a place on the boundary of Naphtali, Josh, xix, 33. But 
perhaps a better rendering of the passage would be " the oak at or in Zaa- 
nannim." See Zaanannim. 

Al lon-Bachuth, oak of weeping, the oak-tree under which Deborah, Re- 
bekah's nurse, was buried, Gen. xxxv, 8. 

Almon. See Alemeth. 

ATmon-Diblatha'im, (Map 2,) concealment of the two fig cakes, the fifty- 
first station of the Israelites, Num. xxxiii, 46, 47. Probably identical with 
Beth-diblathaim, Jer. xlviii, 22. 

A'loth, perhaps milk-giving, a place or district apparently joined with Asher 
as a commissariat department, 1 Kings iv, 16. Probably it should be Bealoth. 

A'lush, (Map 2,) desolation, (?) a crowd of men, or a strong fort, or a place 
of wild beasts, the eleventh station at which the Hebrews rested on their 
way to Mount Sinai, Num. xxxiii, 13, 14. It is alleged (upon an interpreta- 
tion of Exod. xvi, 30) that in Alush the Sabbath was instituted, and the 
first Sabbath kept. But the Sabbath is as old as creation. 

A mad, people of duration, a town of Asher, Josh, xix, 26. According to 
Robinson it may probably be identified with Shefa ' Omar, or Shefa Amar, 
a large market town on a ridge of Haifa. 

Am'alekites, (Map 2,) a people that licks up, or uses ill, or, perhaps, dwellers 
in a valley, a tribe first mentioned in connection with the expedition of 
Chedorlaomer, Gen. xiv, 7. We find them occupying the country between 
Palestine, Idumea, and Mount Sinai, on the elevated plateau (Num. xiv, 25, 
40-45) now called er-Rakhmah ; their seats having been at a very early 
period probably further eastward. Amalek, the grandson of Esau, was 
perhaps the progenitor of a clan which was intermingled with an older race, 
Gen. xxxvi, 12, 15. The period referred to in Gen. xiv, 7, is much more 
remote than that in xxxvi, 12, 16. They were defeated by Joshua, Exod. 
xvii, 8-13. They defeat Israel at Hormah, Num. xiv, 45 ; Deut. i, 44. 

A'mam, meeting place, or gathering, a city in the extreme south of Judah, 
Josh, xv, 26. The enumeration in the thirty-second verse shows that this 
name should be joined with the preceding, that is, Hazor-Amam. Nothing 
Is known of it. See Hazor, (4.) 

Am ana, or Ama'na, fixed, a covenant, perennial. The marginal reading 
(of many codices and versions) of 2 Kings v, 12 ; the stream near Damascus, 
called in the text Abana. 

2. A ridge or summit of Anti-Libanus, in which it is presumed the river 
Amana or Abana has its source, Sol. Song, iv, 8. 

Am'athis, or Amathi'tis, a district probably identical with Hamath. 
There Jonathan Maccabeus met the forces of Demetrius, 1 Mace, xii, 25. 

Am'mah, beginning, head, a cubit, a hill facing Giah, the point to which 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 21 

Joab pursued Abner after the skirmish near Gibeon, 2 Sam. ii, 21. See 
Metheg-Ammah. 

Am'monites, (Map 4,) strong people, or son of my kindred. The nation 
descended from Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot, born in incest, Gen. xix, 38. Their 
territory was between the Arnon and the Jabbok, Num. xxi, 24 ; Deut. ii, 
19, 20 ; Josh, xii, 2 ; xiii, 10, 25. The Israelites were forbidden to attack 
them, Deut. ii, 19, 37. Their inhospitality to Israel was punished by their 
being shut out from the congregation, Deut. xxiii, 3-6 ; Neh. xiii, 1. They 
invaded Israel, Judges iii, 13. They oppressed Israel, and were defeated by 
Jephthah, Judges x, 7-18; xi; xii, 1-3. By Saul, 1 Sam. xi; xiv, 47. 
By David, 2 Sam. viii, 12 ; xii, 26-31; xvii, 27 ; 1 Chron. xviii, 11. By Joab, 
2 Sam. x ; xi, 1-17 ; 1 Chron. xx, 1-3. By Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. By 
Jotham, and made tributary, 2 Chron. xxvii, 5. Tributary to Uzziah, 
2 Chron. xxvi, 8. They invaded Gad, etc., Jer. xlix, 1 ; Amos i, 13. They 
assisted Nebuchadnezzar against Jehoiakim, 2 Kings xxiv, 2. They aided 
in the murder of Gedaliah, Jer. xl, 11, 14; xii, 10, 15. Opposed the build- 
ing of Jerusalem, Neh. iv, 1-12. Intermarriage with, by Solomon, 1 Kings 
xi, 1 ; 2 Chron. xii, 13 ; Neh. xiii, 26 ; by Jews, Ezra ix, 1 ; Neh. xiii, 23. 

Notice of their kings : Baalis, Jer. xl, 14 : Hanun, 2 Sam. x ; 1 Chron. 
xix : Nahosh, 1 Sam. xi ; 2 Sam. x, 2 ; 1 Chron. xix, 1, 2. 

For their towns, see Heshbon, Minuith, Kabbah. They are continually 
spoken of in conjunction with the kindred people of Moab, and they appear 
to have worshiped the same God, Chemosh, Num. xxi, 29; Judg. xi, 24; 
though Moloch or Milcom is specially called their " abomination," 
1 Kings xi, 5. 

See prophecies concerning the Ammonites in Isa. xi, 14; Jer. ix, 25, 26; 
xxv, 15-21; xxvii, 1-11; xlix, 1-6; Ezek. xxi, 20, 28-32; xxv, 1-11; 
Dan. xi, 41 ; Amos i, 13-15 ; Zeph. ii, 9-11. 

Am'orites, (Map 3,) mountaineers, the most powerful of all the nations of 
Canaan ; hence their name often occurs for the Canaanites in general 
Gen. xv, 16; Josh, xxiv, 18; Amos ii, 9, 10; Judg. vi, 10. In Gen. x, 16, 
their origin is traced to Emori, an offspring of Canaan. Sometimes we 
find a city said to be occupied by Amorites, which appears elsewhere as- 
signed to another tribe. Thus Jerusalem is Amorite, Josh, x, 3, 5 ; Jebu- 
site, xv, 63. More particularly, however, the Amorites occupied the 
mountains ; while the Canaanites dwelt in the lowlands, Num. xiii, 29. 
They extended themselves to the east of the Jordan, from the Arnon to 
Hermon, which in their language they called Shenir or Senir. Here they 
formed two kingdoms under Sihon and Og, including all Gilead and Bashan, 
which, on Sihon's refusal to let the Israelites pass peaceably, Moses con- 
quered and assigned to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and to the half-tribo 
of Manasseh, Deut. ii, 26-30 ; iii, 8-10. Five kings of the Amorite3 were 
destroyed by Joshua ; still the nation was by no means exterminated. We 
find them in the period of the Judges, Judg. i, 34-36 ; iii, 5 ; and even to 
the reign of Solomon, who subjected the remnant of them to bond service, 
1 Kings ix, 20, 21. There is also a notice of them as existing after the cap- 
tivity, Ezra ix, 1. 

Mr. Grove (in Smith's Dictionary) argues with great force that the name 
" Amorite " was a local term, and not the name of a distinct tribe. See also 
Herzog's Encyclopedia, (Philadelphia edition, translated by Dr. Bomberger, 
vol i, page 128.) 



22 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Amphip'olis, (Map 8,) a city on both sides, or around the city; a city of 
Macedonia, on the river Strymon. The Athenians colonized it, and gave it its 
name because the river flowed on both sides. It was also on the Via Egnatia, 
and under the Romans formed the chief city of Macedonia prima. Paul and 
Silas passed through it on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica, Acts 
xvii, 1. A village of about one hundred houses, called Neophorio, ("New 
Town," in Turkish Jeni Kevi,) now occupies part of its site. 

Am'ramite, (from Amram, kindred of the lofty one, that is, friend of Jeho- 
vah.) The name given to the family of Amram the Levite, Num. iii, 27 ; 
1 Chron. xxvi, 23. 

A'nab, (Map 5,) place of clusters, a grape-town, a place in the mountains 
of Judah where once the Anakim dwelt, whom Joshua expelled, Num. 
xiii, 33; Josh, xi, 21; xv, 50. Now ' Anab, ten miles south-south-west of 
Hebron. 

Anaha'rath, signification unknown ; some render snorting, or burning, or 
gorge. A city of Issachar, Josh, xix, 19. The site was apparently unknown 
: n the time of Eusebius and Jerome. It was perhaps in the northern part 
of the tribe, possibly at Meskarah, where now are ruins. 

Anakim, (Map 3,) (from Anak, long-necked, that is, a giant; or perhaps 
noble,) sons of Anak ; children of Anak ; sons of the Anakim. See Deut. 
i, 28; ix, 2 ; Josh, xiv, 15. A gigantic race living in Southern Palestine, 
among the mountains of Judah and Ephraim, Josh, xi, 21, 22 ; xiv, 12; and 
especially in the neighborhood of Hebron. They were the dread of the 
Israelites, but at length were almost entirely extirpated. 

An'amim, signification unknown : perhaps responding waters. An Egyp- 
tian tribe, descended from Mizraim, whose location is only conjectural, Gen. 
x, 13-; 1 Chron. i, 11. 

Anani'ah, one whom Jehovah covers, a town where the Benjamites lived 
after the captivity, Neh. xi, 32. Probably the modern Beit Hanina, a small 
village three miles north of Jerusalem. 

An'athoth, (Map 6,) answers, that is, to prayers ; echoes, a priest's city in 
Benjamin, Josh, xxi, 18 ; 1 Chron. vi, 60. To this place Abiathar was ban- 
ished, 1 Kings ii, 26. Jeremiah was born there, Jer. i, 1 ; xi, 21, 23; xxxii, 
7-9. Some of its people returned with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii, 23; Neh. 
vii, 27. Probably in or near a great road to Jerusalem; for it is mentioned 
in Isa. x, 30, as on the onward march of the Assyrians, where the Prophet, 
speaking of it pitifully, says, " poor Anathoth ! " It is the same as the 
modern 'Anata, about four miles north-east of Jerusalem. The village is 
small and poor, but the ruins indicate that the ancient town was walled, and 
a place of great strength. 

A'nem, two fountains, a Levitical city in Issachar, 1 Chron. vi, 73; called 
En-Gannim in Josh, xix, 21; xxi, 29; probably the modern Jenln. See 
En-Gannim. 

A'ner, a young man, or perhaps an exile or emigrant, a Levitical city in 
the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 1 Chron. vi, 70. Gesenius 
supposes this to be the same with Taanach of Judg. i, 27, or Tanach, 
Josh, xxi, 25. h 

A'nim, fountains, a town in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 50. It is 
supposed to be identified with the modern village of Ghuwein, one hour south 
of Semoa, on the road from Hebron to Moladah. 

Anti -Lib'anus, (Map 5,) opposite Libaxus, Judith i, 7, the eastern of the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 25 

two great parallel ridges of mountains that inclose the valley of Ccele-Syria 
proper : " Lebanon toward the sun-rising," Josh, xiii, 5. Now cailed Jebel 
Esh-Shurki. See Lebanon. 
An'tioch, (Maps 1, 8,) (from Antiochus,) the name of two places : 

1. A very celebrated Syrian city called Antioch the Great, and Antioch 
Epidaphnes. or "by Daphne," (where were the laurel grove and sanctuary of 
Apollo and Diana,) in order to distinguish it from other places of the same 
name It was founded by Seleucus Nicator three hundred years B. C, and 
named by him after his father Antiochus. It was on the banks of the 
Orontes, three hundred miles north of Jerusalem, and about thirty miles from 
the Mediterranean. It soon became a splendid town. The Syrian kings 
embellished it. Pompey made it a free city. Herod contributed to its 
adornment, and the Roman emperors added various structures. Many 
Jews were settled in Antioch, having been invited thither by Seleucus and 
granted special privileges. The inhabitants generally were pleasure-seekers 
and luxurious, and are said to have been fond of inventing nicknames. 
Hence, possibly, the designation "Christians," given to the disciples of 
Christ, Acts xi, 26. Antioch is, next to Jerusalem, of the greatest interest 
and importance in the apostolic history. Here the Gospel was successfully 
preached, Acts xi, 19-30. Barnabas and Saul were sent thence, Acts xiii, 
1-3. Theii return is mentioned, Acts xiv, 26-28. To this great city proph- 
ets resortc , Acts xi, 27; here the most eminent pastors ministered, xiii, 1; 
hence w . dispatched that first missionary expedition in which Christianity 
was planted throughout Asia, xiii, 2-52, and chap, xiv, and from which 
eventually came the introduction of the Gospel into Europe, xv, 36 ; xvi, 1 2 ; 
here, too, were fought battles for the fundamental principles of the faith, xv, 
1, 2 ; Gal. ii, 1 1-14. In the time of Chrysostoin the population was computed 
at 200,000, of whom about one half were professed Christians. Chrysostom 
states that the Church at Antioch maintained three thousand poor, besides 
relieving many more. Some stirring notices of this great city may be found 
in the books of the Maccabees, (especially 1 Mace, iii, 37 ; xi, 13 ; 2 Mace, 
iv, 7-9 ; v, 21 ; xi, 36.) The city now bears the name of Antakid, or Antdkieh, 
and belongs to the pashalic of Haleb, (Aleppo.) War, pestilence, and earth- 
quakes have reduced it to a mean town with 6,000 inhabitants, among whom 
are some Jews and a few Christians. The antiquities of Antioch are few 
and uninteresting, considering the extent and splendor of the ancient city. 
Its temples, palaces, and colonnades have disappeared. Here and there are 
traces of ruins ; and now and then, amid the gardens, one sees a granite 
shaft or a marble capital. 

2. Antioch of Pisidia, originally founded by the Magnetes on the Mean- 
der, was re-established, and named, like the Syrian city, by Seleucus Nicator. 
It was on a ridge of the Taurus. It became a colony under Augustus, and 
was named also Cesarea. Paul preached here, but was obliged to flee, 
Acts xiii, 14-52 ; 2 Tim. iii, 11. Jews from Antioch persecuted Paul at Lys- 
tra; but Paul returned to Antioch, Acts xiv, 19-22, and revisited it, Acts 
tviii, 22. The site of this city has lately been identified with the modem 
Yalobatch, where a few ruins } r et remain. 

Antip'atris, (Map 5,) for his father, a city built by Herod the Great, in 
honor of his father, on the site of a former place called Caphar-Saba. To 
this city Paul was brought from Jerusalem by night on his route to Cesarea, 
Acts xxiii, 31. Probably identical with Kaldat Bos el } Aitu 

2 



26 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Anto'nia, (Map 26,) a fortress, or tower built by Herod, and named by 
him in honor of his friend Antonius. It was on the site of the more ancient 
Baris, on the north-west of the temple. (See Jerusalem ) It was the " cas- 
tie " of Acts xxi, 34, 37, into which Paul was carried from the temple by 
the soldiers, and from the stairs of which he made the earnest speech found 
in Acts xxii. Compare Acts xxi, 40; xxii, 24, 30; xxiii, 10, 16. 

Aphar'sachites, Ezra v, 6 ; vi, 6 ; and 

Aphar'sathchites, Ezra iv, 9, a tribe of Assyrian colonists of Samaria ; 
and 

Apliar' sites, Ezra iv, 9, another tribe of Assyrian colonists, about whom 
nothing is known with certainty. Hiller regards them as the Farrhasii, a 
tribe of eastern Media. Gesenius thinks they are the Persians. 

A'phek, probably strength, the name of several places. 

1. A city of the tribe of Asher, Josh, xix, 30, apparently near Phenicia, 
Josh, xiii, 4 ; doubtless the same with Aphik, which the Israelites were un- 
able to capture from the Canaanites, Judg. i, 31. This was doubtless the 
Aphaca, celebrated for its temple of Venus, now Afka in Lebanon. 

2. A city whose king was destroyed by Joshua, Josh, xii, 18. Probably 
identical with Aphekah, xv, 53. 

3. A place in Lssachar not far from Jezreel, where the Philistines pitched 
before the battle in which the ark was taken, 1 Sam. iv, 1. That mentioned 
in 1 Sam. xxix, 1 , may be the same. 

4. A town of Syria, in which Ben-Hadad took refuge, on the highway be- 
tween Damascus and Palestine, 1 Kings xx, 26-30; 2 Kings xiii, 17. It is 
now called Fik, six miles east of the Sea of Galilee. It is remarkable for 
the great number of inns that it contains. 

Aphekah, (fern, of Aphek,) strong place. A city in the mountains of Judah, 
Josh, xv, 53. It is considered by most as identical with the Aphek of Josh, 
xii, 18. It was probably near Hebron, but is unknown. 

A'phik, strong, or perhaps water-course, a city not subdued by Asher, 
Judg. i, 31. Doubtless the same as Aphek 1. 

Aph'rah, fawn, or perhaps dust. Supposed to be identical with Ophrah, 
Micah i, 10. See Beth-le-Apiirah. 

Apollo'nia, (Map 8,) belonging to Apollo, a name borne by several places 
in Europe and Asia dedicated to Apollo. The Apollonia through which 
Paul passed was a city in Macedonia, in the district of Mygdonia, nearly 
midway between Amphipolis and Thessalonica, Acts xvii, 1. A more noted 
city by this name was Illyria. 

Ap'pii-Fo'rum, (Map 8,) the market-place of Appius. A station on the 
Appian Road, where the disciples met Paul, Acts xxviii, 15. Ancient itin- 
eraries fix this place at forty -three miles from Rome; and the forty-third 
mile-stone, which is still preserved, and some other ruins near Treponti, 
mark the ancient site. 

Ar, (Map 5,) a city ; in Num. xxi, 28, Ar-Moab; also city of Moab; Rab- 
bah or Rabbath, Rabbath-Moab, and Areopolis. The chief city of Moab, 
south of the river Arnon, and about seventeen miles east of the Dead Sea. 
Ar is sometimes taken for the land of Moab, Deut. ii, 9, 18, 29. It was 
burned by Silion, Num. xxi, 26-30. Desolation was prophesied, Isa. xv. 1. 
Ar is "laid waste and brought to silence." A few ruins remain under the 
name Rabba, lying on a low hill about ten miles north of Kerak. 

Arab, ambush, a city in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 52, whence 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 27 

possibly the Gentile Arbite, 2 Sam. xxiii, 35. Possibly the p.aee known as 
Khirbet el 'Arabiyeh east of Hebron, marks the site. 

Ar'abah, (Map 2,) a sterile region, the name of a region and of a town. 
ft has usually the definite article — "the Arabah" — and in that case signi- 
fies the great Jordan valley. This valley extended from the foot of Anti- 
Libanus down to the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, a distance of not less than 
two hundred and fifty miles. The modern Arabs call the upper portion of 
this valley, or about one hundred and fifty miles of it, Ghor, and the south- 
ern part the Wady el- Arabah. Arabah occurs but once in our version, (Josh, 
xviii, 18,) but repeatedly in the original, and is translated in our version 
"plain," "wilderness," "desert," Deut. i, 1 ; ii, 8; iii, 17; iv, 49; Josh. iii. 
16; xii, 1, 3; 2 Kings xiv, 25; Amos vi, 14. Much light is thrown upon 
various passages of Scripture by the right understanding of what the Ara- 
bah, or "plain," really is. See Josh, viii, 14; 2 Sam. ii, 29; 2 Kings xxv, 4. 

2. A city of Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 18 ; elsewhere called more fully Beth- 
Arabah, Josh, xv, 61; xviii, 22. 

Ar'abatti'ne, 1. A place in Idumea, 1 Mace, v, 3, toward the southern 
end of the Dead Sea, occupied by the Edomites during the captivity. 

2. A toparchy of Judea, extending between Neapolis (Shechem) and Jeri- 
cho, supposed to have taken its name from Maaleii-Acrabbim, which see. 

Ara'bia, (Maps 1, 12,) 1 Kings x, 15; 2 Chron. ix, 14; Isa. xxi, 13; 
Jer. xxv, 24; Ezek. xxvii, 21; Gal. i, 17; iv, 23; 2 Esdr. xv, 29; 1 Mace, 
xi, 16; 2 Mace, xii, 11. The meaning is, wild, desert place, sterile. The 
Hebrew 'Arab was applied to nearly the same territory as that cailed 
Kedem, "the East," (Gen. x, 30; xxv, 6; xxix, 1.) lying to the east of Pal- 
estine, but north of the Arabian peninsula. Gradually the appellation ob- 
tained a wider scope. The Greek geographers divided the country into 
Felix, Petrcea, and Deserta. A more recent division is as follows: Arabia 
Prvper, or Jezirat el-Arab, or the great peninsula as far as the northern 
wastes ; Northern Arabia, or El-Badieh, or the vast Arabian Desert, bounded 
by the peninsula, the Euphrates, Syria, and the Desert of Petnea; West- 
ern Ara'bia, comprising the Peninsula of Sinai and the Desert of Petraa, 
bounded by the Red Sea, Egypt, Palestine, and Northern Arabia. Arabia 
Proper may be subdivided into five principal provinces: the Yemen, the 
districts of Hadramaut, Mahreh, and Oman on the Indian Ocean, and the 
entrance of the Persian Gulf; El-Bahrein, toward the head of the gulf just 
named : the great central country of Nejd and Yemameh ; and the Hejaz 
and Tehameh, on the Red Sea. The Arabs also have five divisions: Telia- 
meh, the Hejaz, Nejd, El-Arud, (the provinces lying toward the head of the 
Persian Gulf, including Yemameh,) and the Yemen, including Oman and 
the intervening tracts. They have, however, never agreed either as to the 
limits or the number of the divisions. The inhabitants of different parts of 
Arabia, besides being called Arabians, were called Horites, Edomites, Idu- 
means, Ishmaelites. 

Much of the most hallowed portion of Scripture history is connected with 
this country. Job lived here. Here Moses saw the burning bush uncon- 
sumed with fire. Through its wildernesses the Israelites wandered for forty 
years, witnessing the amazing miracles which God wrought for their deliv- 
erance. We have space but for a few Scripture references concerning the 
country and its inhabitants. The Arabians were descended from IshmaeL. 
Gen xxv, 13, 14; 1 Chron. i, 29-31, with Isa. xxi, 11-17. Their territory, 



28 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 

Gen. xxv. 18. A people who lived in tents, Isa. xiii, 20; Jer. iii, 1. They 
bring gold to Solomon, 2 Chron. ix, 14 ; and flocks to Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 
xvii, 11. They invade Judah, and slay Jehoram's sons, 2 Chron. xxi, 16, 
17; xxi, 1. Defeated by Uzziah. 2 Chron. xxvi, 7. They oppose the build- 
ing of Jerusalem, Neh. ii, 19; iv, 7. Their commerce with Tyre, Ezek. 
xxvii, 21. At Jerusalem on day of Pentecost, Acts ii, 11. Paul visits 
Arabia, Gal. i, 17. Prophecies of, Isa. xxi, 11-17; xlii, 11; lx, 7; Jer. 
txv, 23, 24; xlix, 28, 29. 

A'rad, (Map 1,) perhaps flight, or wild ass, some say a dragon, a Canaan- 
itish city north of the wilderness of Judah. The King of Arad resisted the 
Israelites in their third attempt to enter Canaan, Num. xxi, 1 ; xxxiii, 40. 
[Here " King Arad " should be " King of Arad."] The Aradites were sub- 
dued by Joshua, Josh, xii, 14; Judg. i, 16. Arad' is probably identical with 
Tell } Ardd, eight hours south of Hebron. 

Ar'adus, 1 Mace, xv, 23. See Arvad, with which it is identical. 

Aram, high region, the highland country which lay (with interruptions) 
between the Tigris and the Mediterranean, Gen. x, 22, 23; xxii, 21; Num. 
xxiii, 7; 1 Chron. i, 17; ii, 23. Elsewhere translated Syria and Syrians. 
(See Mesopotamia.) "When first the name occurs (Gen. xxiv, 10) it is as 
Aram-Naharaim, "Aram of the two rivers," (Mesopotamia in our version,) 
the highland region between the Euphrates and the Tigris. Padan-Aram 
was also used to denote the same region, Gen. xxv, 20; xxviii, 2. There 
were a number of small kingdoms comprised in the country of Aram, each 
distinguished by some special name, as Aram-Zobah, or Zobah, 1 Sam. xiv, 
47; 2 Sam. viii, 3; x, 6, 8; 1 Chron. xviii, 5, 9; xix, 6; Aram-Rehob, or 
Beth-Rehob, 2 Sam. x, 6, 8 ; Syria -Maachah, 1 Chron. xix, 6 ; Geshur " in 
Aram," 2 Sam. xv, 8; compare 1 Chron. ii, 23; Aram-Damascus, 2 Sam. 
viii, 5, 6; 1 Chron. xviii, 5, 6; and probably many more. All these small 
States are spoken of collectively under the name of Aram, 2 Sam. x, 13. 
Damascus was far the most powerful, and its influence gradually extended, 
till by Aram or Syria was understood that great monarchy of which Da- 
mascus was the capital, 1 Kings xi, 25; xv, 18; xx, 1; Isa. vii, 1, 2, 8. 
This country was peopled by the descendants of Shem. The descent 
of the Arameans from a son of Shem is confirmed by their language, 
which was one of the branches of the Semitic family, and nearly allied to 
the Hebrew. 

A'ram-Nahara'im, Judg. iii, 8, marg. ; Psa. lx, title. See Aram. 

A'ram-Zo'bah, Psa. lx, title. See Aram. 

Ar'arat, (Map 1,) sacred or holy land, the name of the mountains in Ar- 
menia on which the ark rested after the flood, Gen. viii, 4. This word oc- 
curs in 2 Kings xix, 37; Isa. xxxvii, 38; Jer. Ii, 27; but in the first two 
passages our version renders it Armenia. In Tobit i, 21 v the form is Ara- 
rath. The term does not refer to a mountain, but to a country on whose 
mountains the ark rested. The mountain known to us as Ararat is called 
by the natives Massis, by the Turks Agri-Dagh, and by the Persians Kuh-i- 
Nuh, that is, Mountain of Noah. There are two peaks known as " the 
Mountains of Ararat." The highest is 17,750 feet above the sea, and 
14,573 feet above the plain. While, without doubt, the ark rested oa the 
mountains of Armenia, we cannot with certainty fix upon which mountain. 
Probably it was on some one of the lower peaks t>f the chain. See A a- 

MEN1A. 




o 

a. 
o 

a 
«l 

Q 

<l 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 31 

Ar'arath, Tobit i, 21, another form of Ararat. 

Arbat'tis, (but occurring only in dative plural,) a district of the Holy Land 
mentioned (1 Mace, v, 23) as despoiled by Simon Maccabeus. Probably 
identical with Arabattine. 

Ar'bel. See Beth-Arbel. Hfosea x, 14. 

Arbela, in Galilee, 1 Mace, ix, 2, probably identical with Beth-Akbel, 
and now Jrbid, on the west side of the sea of Gennesareth. 

Arbo'nai, a river between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. Prob« 
ably in Mesopotamia, Judith ii, 24. On its banks were several large cities, 
which Holofernes destroyed. 

Ar'chevites, probably the inhabitants of Erech, the city of Nimrod, 
(Gen. x, 10,) some of whom had been placed as colonists in Samaria, Ezra 
iv, 9. The name is in the Chaldee form. 

Ar'chi, Josh, xvi, 2, and 

Ar'chite, a native of a place called Erech, (not the Erech of Babylonia. 
Gen. x, 10,) not otherwise known, 2 Sam. xv, 32; xvii, 5, 14; 1 Chron 
xxvii, 33. This city or district was in the neighborhood of Bethel. 

Ar'dath, a field mentioned in 2 Esdr. ix, 26, as the scene of the vision of 
a bereaved woman. 

Areop'agus, the Hill of Mars, a rocky height in Athens, opposite the 
western end of the Acropolis. It derived its name from the legend that 
Mars, (Ares,) the god of war, was tried here by the other gods on a charge 
of murder. Here was held the noted council of the Areopagus. Its meet- 
inga were held on the south-eastern summit of the rock, the Areopagites 
sitting as judges in the open air. There are still sixteen stone steps cut in 
the rock, leading up to the hill from the Valley of the Agora below; and 
immediately above the steps is a bench of stones excavated in the rock, 
forming three sides of a quadrangle, and facing the south. St. Paul here 
made his remarkable address, Acts xvii, 19-34. See Mars' Hill. 

Ar'gob, (Map 5,) stony, stone-heap, a district east of the Jordan, in Bashan, 
Deut. iii, 4, 13, 14; 1 Kings iv, 13. It was allotted to the half-tribe of 
Manasseh, and was, in later classical times, called Trachonitis, the rough, 
and has been identified as the modern well-defined Ly'dh, south of Damas- 
cus. This is a very remarkable region. It extends, in the shape of an ir- 
regular oval, about twenty-two miles from north to south, by fourteen from 
east to west, being thickly studded with ruined cities and villages. It is 
described as an " ocean of basaltic rocks." It is composed of black basalt, 
which seems to have issued from innumerable pores in the surface of the 
earth, and thence, in a liquid state, to have flowed out on every side till the 
plain was covered. A Roman road runs through the district from south to 
north, probably between Bosra and Damascus. Referring to the remarka- 
ble passage in Deut. iii, 4, 5, Mr. Porter says: "Such a statement seems al- 
most incredible. But mysterious, incredible as this seemed, on the spot, 
with my own eyes, I have seen that this is literally tme." " It is literally 
crowded with towns and large villages, and, though a vast majority of them 
are deserted, they are not ruined. I have more than once entered a deserted 
city in the evening, taken possession of a comfortable house, and spent the 
night in peace. Many of the houses in the ancient cities of Bashan are per- 
fect, as if only finished yesterday. The walls are sound, the roofs un- 
broken, the doors, and even the window-shutters, in their places." "These 
ancient cities of Bashan contain probably the very oldest specimens of do- 



32 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

mestic architecture now existing in the world." — Porter's Giant Cities. See 
Kenath; Edrei. 

A'riel, lion of God, or hearth (altar) of God, used m Isa. xxix, 1, as a poeti- 
cal name of Jerusalem. 

Arimathe'a, (Map 5,) the double heights, a town of Judea, where resided 
Joseph who begged the body of Jesus, Matt, xxvii, 57 ; Mark xv, 43 ; Luke 
xxiii, 51 ; John xix, 38. It is supposed by some identical with Ramah, the 
birth-place of Samuel, and hence identified with the existing Ramleh, (ten 
miles south-east of Joppa,) because of the similarity of the name to that of 
Ramah, (of which Ramathaim is the dual,) and because it is near Lydda and 
Diospolis. Possibly Arimathea may be a corruption of Ramathaim, and 
thus the same as Ramah, (4 ;) but its identity with Ramleh cannot be sus- 
tained. Some identify it with Renthieh, ten miles due east from Joppa. See 
" The Land and the Book." See Ramah, (4.) 

Ark'ites, (Map 3,) fugitives, the name of the inhabitants of Arka, Gen. 
x, 17 ; 1 Chron. i, 15; descendants of the Phenician or Sidonian branch of 
Canaan. Arka was at the north-west base of Lebanon. Here was a splendid 
temple for the worship of Astarte. The place was noted as the birthplace 
of the Emperor Alexander Severus. Ruins of this once splendid city still 
exist at Tel 'Arka, four miles south of the Nahr-el-Kebir, and twelve miles 
north of Tripoli. 

Armaged'don, the mountain, or perhaps the city of Megiddo, a name used 
emblematically for a place of slaughter and mourning, Rev. xvi, 16. In this 
passage allusion is made to that great battle-field where Barak and Gideon 
conquered, Judg. iv ; v, 19 ; vi, 33 ; vii ; where Saul and Josiah fell, 1 Sam. 
xxix, 1 ; xxxi; 2 Sam. iv, 4 ; 2 Chron. xxxv, 20-24 — the plain of Esdraelon, 
on the southern border of which stood Megiddo. See Esdraelon and 
Megiddo. 

Arme'nia, (Map 1,) a country of Western Asia, extending from the 
Caucasus in the north to the Taurus on the south, triangular in shape. The 
name of this country does not occur in the Bible under this form. In 2 Kings 
xix, 37; Isa. xxxvii, 38, our translators have rendered the Hebrew Ararat 
into Armenia, improperly. Ararat may be the central region of Armenia 
round the mountains known by that name. Minni, mentioned in Jer. li, 27, 
(with Ararat and Ashkenaz,) as a kingdom called to arm itself against Baby- 
lon, is thought to be a contraction of Armenia, meaning perhaps the district 
Minyas. Then there is Togarmah, Gen. x, 3 ; Ezek. xxvii, 14 : xxxviii, 6, 
of wider signification, a region which must, from the connection in which it 
is found, be identified with Armenia. The traditional belief of the Armeni- 
ans is that they are descended from Thorgomass or Tiorgarmal. 

Ar'non, (Map 5,) noisy, a murmur, a river east of Jordan, the boundary 
of Moab and the Amorites. Num. xxi, 13, 26 ; xxii, 36 ; Beut. ii, 24, 36 ; 
iii, 8, 16 ; Josh, xii, 1. There were fords of Arnon, Isa. xvi, 2 ; and 
"high places," Num. xxi, 28, (perhaps mentioned also in Isa. xv, 2.) The 
Anion is generally mentioned in connection with the city Aroer, which stood 
upon its north bank. See passages above, and Josh, xih, 9, 16; Judg. xi, 
13, 18, 22, 26; 2 Kings x, 33. Without doubt the stream now called 
el-Mojib is the ancient Arnon, and the Wady el-Mojib is the ravine through 
which it passed. Where this stream bursts into the Dead Sea it is eighty- 
two feet wide and four feet deep, flowing through a chasm with perpendic- 
ular sides of red, brown, and yellow sandstone, ninety-seven feet wide. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 33 

Ar'oer, (Map 5,) ruins (?), heath, the name of several places : 

1. A city on the north bank of the Arnon, assigned, after the conquest 
'jf Sihon, to Reuben, Deut. ii, 36; hi, 12; iv, 48; Josh, xii, 2; xiii, 9, 16; 
Judg. xi, 26; 1 Chron. v, 8. Afterward, with the rest of the trans-Jordanic 
territory, it was occupied by Hazael, and was subsequently possessed by 
Moab, 2 Kings x, 32, 33 ; Jer. xlviii, 19. Ruins called 'Ararah on the north 
edge of the ravine of the Mojib, mark the site. The valley when viewed 
from this spot "looks like a deep chasm, formed by some tremendous con- 
vulsion of the earth, into which there seems no possibility of descending to 
the bottom." Difficult and dangerous as is the pass of this ravine, a number 
of modern travelers have crossed it. Traces of the old Roman road and mile- 
stones appear both in descending and ascending. (See Porter's Hand-Book.) 

2. A town built or rebuilt by the Gadites, Num. xxxii, 34; Josh, xiii, 25; 
Judg. xi, 33 ; 2 Sam. xxiv, 5. Perhaps the site is marked by the modern 
'Ayra, two hours south-west of es-Salt. (See Ramoth-Gilead.) Some con- 
sider Aroer mentioned in Isa. xvii, 2, as identical with this place ; but this 
would seem, from its grouping, to be farther north, and dependent on Da- 
mascus. 

3. A place in Judah, 1 Sam. xxx, 28. Now doubtless ''Ar'arah, eleven 
miles west-south-west of Bir cs-SeVa, on the road from Gaza to Petrasa. 

Ar'pad, or Ar'phad, prop, support, a Syrian city in the neighborhood of 
Hamath and Damascus; conquered by the Assyrians, 2 Kings xviii, 34, 
xix, 13; Isa. x, 9; xxxvi, 19; xxxvii, 13; Jer. xlix, 23. Several localities 
have been suggested as identical with Arpad, the most probable of which is 
Arvad, or Aradus, opposite Hamath. See Arvad. 

Ar'sareth, a region mentioned only in 2 Esd. xiii, 45, and supposed to 
be beyond the Euphrates. 

Ar'uboth, windows, a lattice, a district possibly on the sea-shore of Judah. 
It is mentioned only in 1 Kings iv, 10, as one ot Solomon's commissariat 
districts. 

Aru'mah, elevated, exalted, a town apparently near Shechein, where Abim- 
elech dwelt, Judg. ix, 41. Perhaps it is the same with Rumah of 2 Kings 
xxiii, 36. Possibly the ruin el-Ormah, five miles south-east of Ndbl&s, marks 
the site. 

Ar'vad, (Maps 3, 4,) wandering, place of fugitives, a small rocky island off 
the north coast of Phenicia, about two miles from the shore, called by the 
Greeks Aradus. The inhabitants were called Arvadites, Gen. x, 18 ; 1 Chron. 
i, 16. In Ezek. xxvii, 8, 11, they are represented as mariners and soldiers 
aiding in the defense of Tyre. The island has about 3,000 inhabitants, 
living by fishing and navigation. There is now a village called Ruad, with 
massive Phoenician walls partially preserved. 

As'calon, the Greek form of Ashkelon, Judith ii, 28; 1 Mace, x, 86; 
xi, 60 ; xii, 33. 

A'ser, the Greek form of Hazor, Tobit i, 2 ; and of Asher, Luke ii, 36 ; 
Rev. vii, 6. 

A'shan, smoke, a Levitical city in the plain, at first assigned to Judah, 
Josh, xv, 42 ; afterward to Simeon, xix, 7 ; 1 Chron. iv, 32. It was given to 
the priests, 1 Chron. vi, 59. (Compare Josh, xxi, 16, where Ain is mentioned 
instead of Ashan.) In 1 Sam. xxx, 30, Chor-Ashan probably is the same. 
Mr. Grove says: " It has not yet been identified, unless it be the same as 
A.in ; in which case Robinson found it at Al Ghuweir." 



34 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Ash'belite, fires of Baal (?), or determination of God, the descendants of 
Ashbel, Num. xxvi, 38. 

Ash'chenaz, 1 Chron. i, 6 ; Jer. li, 27, a less correct form of Ashkenaz, 
which see. 

Ash'dod, (Map 5,) a stronghold, castle, one of the five cities of the Philis- 
tines, Josh, xiii, 3 ; 1 Sam. vi, 17. There the worship of Dagon was specially 
celebrated, 1 Sam. v. It was dismantled by Uzziah, 2 Chron. xxvi, 6 ; and 
taken by Tartan, Isa. xx, 1. Jews married women from, Neh. xiii, 23. 
Language of, xiii, 24. After a long siege Ashdod was taken by Psammet- 
ichus, king of Egypt; possibly alluded to in Jer. xxv, 20. Threatened, 
Amos i, 8 ; hi, 9 ; Zeph. ii, 4 ; Zech. ix, 6 ; destroyed by the Maccabees, 
1 Mace, v, 68 ; x, 84. It was visited by Philip, Acts viii, 40, (as Azotus.) 
It was about three miles from the Mediterranean, midway between Joppa 
and Gaza. It is now an insignificant village called Esdud, situated on the 
eastern declivity of a little flattish hill. The site is beautiful and com- 
manding. 

Ash'doth-Pis'gah, outpourings (ravines) of Pisgah, a ravine or district 
near the base of Mount Pisgah, Deut. hi, 17. (Compare Deut. iv, 49; Josh, 
xii, 3; xiii, 20.) Whether ravine, mountain base, or streams poured forth, be 
the precise meaning cannot be determined with certainty. 

Ash'er, (Map 5,) happy, blessedness. 1. The name of the tribe called after 
the eleventh son of Jacob : so named because Leah thought herself happy 
at his birth, Gen. xxx, 12, 13. The territory of Asher lay on the shore of 
the Mediterranean, extending from Carmel to Zidon ; bounded by Manasseh, 
Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali. Dr. Thomson reckons the territory at 
sixty miles in length, with a breadth of ten or twelve miles. It was num- 
bered at Sinai, Num. i, 41 ; and in the plains of Moab, xxvi, 44-47. Fam- 
ilies of, Num. xxvi, 44-47 ; 1 Chron. vii, 30-40. Encamped north of the 
Tabernacle, under the standard of Dan, Num. ii, 25, 27. Blessing of Moses 
upon, Deut. xxxiii, 24. Inheritance in Canaan, Josh, xix, 24-31. Asher 
did not expel the Canaanites, Judg. i, 31, 32. Their shipping, Judg. v, 17. 
Reproved for not aiding Barak, Judg. v, 17. Assisted Gideon against Midian, 
Judg. vi, 35 ; vii, 23. They joined Ish-Bosheth, 2 Sam. ii, 9. Number of their 
soldiers in David's time, 1 Chron. vii, 40 ; xii, 36. They kept Hezekiah's 
passover, 2 Chron. xxx, 11. The people of this tribe were called Asherites, 
Judg. i, 32. 

2. A place at the east end of the boundary line between Ephraim and 
Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 7. Now Yasir, or Teyasir, between Nabl&s and 
Beisan. 

Ash'kelon, As'kelon, (Map 5,) migration, one of the five cities of the Phil- 
istines. A sea-port between Gaza and Ashdod, lying off the great road from 
Egypt; it was therefore of little consequence in biblical history. Josh, xiii, 3 ; 
1 Sam. vi, 17 ; 2 Sam. i, 20. It was taken by Judah, Judg. i, 18. Exploit 
of Samson there, Judg. xiv, 19. Mentioned by the prophets, Jer. xxv, 20 ; 
xlvii, 5, 7 ; Amos i, 8 ; Zeph. ii, 4, 7 ; Zech. ix, 5. In later times it was a 
place of importance, noted for the worship of Decerto, the Syrian Yenus ; and 
it was of some consequence in the Crusades. The place is now a mass of 
ruins called El Jore, or by some ''Askuldn, presenting " such an aspect of 
utter desolation that it is painful to look upon it." 

Ash'kenaz, (Map 12,) (meaning uncertain,) a Japhetic people sprung from 
Gomer, Gen. x, 3; called also Aschenaz, 1 Chron. i, 6; Jer. Ii, 27; probably 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 35 

living originally in the neighborhood of Armenia or the Caspian. There are 
various conjectures as to the precise locality. The Jewish rabbis identify it 
with Germany; while others find in the name the origin of ^is-ia. Kalisch 
identifies their city with the ancient city Rhagse, in the eastern part of Great 
Media, a day's journey south of the Caspian. The ruins of this city exist at 
Rhey, not far from Teheran. 

Ash'nah, the strong, fortified, two cities in the maritime low lands of 
Judah, mentioned in Josh, xv, 33, 43. Their site is not certainly iden- 
tified. 

Ash'taroth, or As'taroth, (Map 3,) (plural of Ashtoreth,) Statues of As* 
tarte (?) a city in Bashan, the residence of King Og, Deut. i, 4; Josh. ix,,10; 
xii, 4; xiii, 12; in the half tribe of Manasseh, xiii, 31; allotted to the Ger- 
shomites, 1 Chron. vi, 71. In Josh, xxi, 27, it is called Beesh-terah. Per- 
haps Tell 'Ashtere in Jaulan marks the site. 

Ash'terathite, 1 Chron. xi, 44. One of David's warriors ; probably a 
native of the following place. 

Ash'teroth Kar'naim, (Map 3,) Ashteroth of the two horns, horned Astarte, 
a very ancient city of the Rephaim, Gen. xiv, 5, and probably a distinct 
place from the preceding. It is doubtless the Carnaim or Camion of Mac- 
cabean history. See 1 Mace, v, 43; 2 Mace, xii, 21, 26. Some think it the 
modern Sunamein, thirty miles south of Damascus. Others, with apparently 
better reasons, identify it with Mezareib, where is the first castle on the 
great pilgrim road from Damascus to Mecca. 

Ash'urites, (meaning uncertain, perhaps from a word signifying a step,) 
a tribe mentioned in 2 Sam. ii, 9, as under the authority of Ish-Bosheth. 
Their history is vague. Some think them the same as the Geshurites. 
Perhaps they were the Asshurites, or the Asherites ; but all such iden- 
tification is conjectural. 

A'sia, (Map 1.) The import of this word in the Old and New Testaments 
is restricted by the sense in which it was commonly employed in ancient times. 
Some of the old Greek writers use it for the whole world. Later it was re- 
stricted to a continent in contrast with Europe and Africa. In the Roman 
period it was generally applied only to the single district of Western Asia, 
known as Asia Minor, although the boundaries of Asia Minor varied at 
different periods. 

In 1 Mace, viii, 6, Antiochus the Great is termed King of Asia, because 
his dominions included, besides Syria, the greater part of Asia Minor. This 
title was given to several Syrian kings, xi, 13 ; xii, 39 ; xiii, 32 ; 2 Mace, 
iii, 3. The term Asia in Acts vi, 9; xix, 10, 22; xx, 4, 16, 18; 1 Cor. xvi, 
19; 2 Cor. i, 8; 2 Tim. i, 15; 1 Pet. i, 1; Rev. i, 4, 11, refers to "Asia 
Proper " or " Proconsular Asia," which comprehended the provinces of 
Phrygia, Mysia, Caria, and Lydia. Luke, in Acts ii, 9, 10, and xvi, 6, uses the 
name in a still more restricted sense, counting Phrygia and Mysia as dis- 
tinct from Asia. The celebrated Seven Churches of the Apocalypse were 
in Asia, Rev. i, 4. 

Asia Minor comprehended Bithynia, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cili- 
cia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Mysia, Troas, (all being men- 
tioned in the New Testament,) Lydia, Ionia, iEolis, (which are sometimes 
included under Lydia,) Caria, Doris, and Lycia. 

As'kelon, Judg. i, 18. See Ashkelon. 

Asmone'ans, (Map 15.) See Maccabees. 



36 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

A'sor, 1 Mace, xi, 61 ; sometimes Nasor. See Nasor and Hazor. 
As'phar, a pool, a fountain or cistern in the south or south-east of Pal- 
estine, in the wilderness of Thecoe, or Tekoa, 1 Mace, ix, 33. 

As'rielites, descendants of Asriel, a son of Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 2; 

1 Chron. vii, 14; Num. xxvi, 31. 

As'shur, (Map 12,) a step, the Hebrew form of Assyria, Gen. x, 11; Num. 
xxiv, 22, 24; Hosea xiv, 3. See Assyria. 

Asshu'rim, steps, an Arab tribe said to be descended from Dedan, Gen. 
xxv, 3 ; and supposed to be the same with the Ashurites (which see) in the 
vicinity of Gilead, 2 Sam. ii, 9. 

Asside'ans, probably saints, a name given to the more orthodox party 
among the Jews in Maccabean times. 1 Mace, ii, 42; vii, 13; 2 Mace, 
xiv, 6. 

As'sos, (Map 8,) a sea-port town in Mysia, on the north shore of the gulf 
of Adramyttium, over against the island of Lesbos, about twenty miles from 
the town of Troas. On his journey to Jerusalem St. Paul let the vessel go 
round, while he crossed by land from Troas, and again embarked at Assos, 
Acts xx, 13, 14. It is now a miserable village, whose neighborhood still 
bears the name of Asso. Many fine ruins remain. The old citadel, above 
the theater, commands a glorious view. 

As'sur, Ezra iv, 2 ; Psa. lxxxiii, 8 ; an inaccurate form of Asshur. See 
Assyria. 

Assyr'ia, (Map 1,) a step, a kingdom founded by Asshur and Nimrod, 
Gen. x, 8-12 ; Micah v, 6. Its extent differed greatly at different periods. 
The name occurs first in our version as the equivalent of Asshur, Gen. ii, 
14; xxv, 18, and may be considered as applying both to a defined region, 
properly denominated Assyria, and to the empire, enlarged and consolidated 
by the subjection of neighboring districts, over which the King of Assyria 
had rule. Probably in the earliest times it was confined to a small tract of 
low country between the Jebel Ma/club, or Taurus range on the north, and 
the Lesser Zab (Zab Asfal) toward the south, lying chiefly on the immediate 
bank of the Tigris. Its limits were gradually extended, until it came to be 
regarded as comprising the whole region between the Armenian Mountains 
(lat. 37° 30') upon the north, and upon the south the country about Bagdad, 
(lat. 33° 30'.) Eastward its boundary was the high range of Zagros, or 
Mountains of Kurdistan; westward it naturally retained the Tigris as its 
boundary, although, according to the view of some, it was eventually 
bounded by the Mesopotamian desert; while, according to others, it reached 
to the Euphrates. Taking the greatest of these dimensions. Assyria may be 
said to have extended in a direction from north-east to south-west, a dis- 
tance of nearly 500 miles, with a width varying from 350 to 100 miles. Its 
area would thus a little exceed 100,000 square miles, or about equal to that 
of Italy. 

Kings of Assyria: Pul, 2 Kings xv, 19, 20; 1 Chron. v, 26. Tiglath- 
Pileser or Tilgath-Pilneser, 2 Kings xv, 29; xvi, 10; 1 Chron. v, 26; 

2 Chron. xxviii, 16, 20. Shalmaneser, 2 Kings xvii, 3, 6; xviii, 9-12. Sar 
gon, whose general name was Tartan, Isa. xx, 1. Sennacherib, 2 Kings 
xviii, 13; xix, 37; Isa. xxxvi, xxxvii. Esar-Hacldon, 2 Kings xix, 37; Ezra 
iv, 2 ; Isa. xxxvii, 38. 

Among the prophecies concerning Assvria are the following: Num. xxiv, 
22, 24; 2 Kings xix, 21-24; Isa. vii, 17-25; viii, 4-10; x, 5-34; xiv, 24-27; 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 39 

«ix, 23-25; xx; xxx, 27-33; xxxi, 8, 9; xxxiii, 1-12; xxxvii, 21-38; Ezek. 
xxxi; Jonah iii, 1-4; Nahum i, ii, iii; Zeph. ii, 13-15; Zech. x, 11. 

The cities of Assyria built by Nimrod were Babylon, Erech, Accad, Cal- 
neh, Gen. x T 9, 10. By Asshur: Nineveh, Calah, Rehoboth, and Resen, 
Gen. x, 11, 12. Babylon and Nineveh were among the mightiest cities of 
the earth, and occupy a prominent place in Bible history. 

A'tad, a thorn, a place called the "threshing floor of Atad," where a 
solemn mourning was made for Jacob lasting seven days, Gen. i, 10, 11. 
From this fact it was afterward called Abel-Mizraim, which see. 

At'aroth, (Map 5.) crowns. A town east of Jordan, in the land of Jazer 
and Gilead, Num. xxxiii, 3, 34. Identified with Attarus, near Machserus. 

2. A town on the border of Ephraim, Josh, xvi, 2, 7, and possibly now 
'Aiara, south of JBireh. This place was also called Ataroth-Addar, or Ata- 
roth- Adar. (Map 6.) 

At'aroth- Ad' dar, crowns of Addar, or greatness; and At'aroth- Adar, 
Josh, xvi, 5 ; xviii, 13. See Ataroth (2.) 

At'aroth, the house of Joab, crowns of the house of Joab, 1 Chron. ii, 
54. A place in the tribe of Judah. Schwarz may possibly be correct in 
identifying it with Latrum, (for el-Atron,) on the road from Jerusalem to 
Jaffa, west of Saris. 

A'thach, lo dying-place, a place in the extreme south of Judah, to the in- 
habitants of which David sent presents, 1 Sam. xxx, 30. Several sites are 
proposed, but all are merely conjectural. 

Ath'arim, regions, a place in the south of Palestine, rendered in our ver- 
sion, Num. xxi, 1, " the way of the spies." Perhaps it was a general desig- 
nation of the region north of Mount Seir. "Wilton interprets " the way of 
the merchants," that is, the caravan road. 

Ath'ens, (Map 1,) Minerva. The chief city of Attica, about five miles 
from the sea, the capital of the leading Grecian republic, and the seat of 
Greek literature in the golden period of the nation, 2 Mace, ix, 15; Acts 
xvii, 15; xviii, 1; 1 Thess. iii, 1. Athens was one of the most noted cities 
of the world's history. It was founded by Cecrops, 1856 B. C. It was a 
very idolatrous city, its idols numbering 30,000. Petronius said it "was 
easier to find a god in Athens than to find a man." 

St. Paul visited Athens on his second missionary journey, Acts xvii, 13- 
15. In Paul's time Athens was included in the Roman province of Achaia, 
but it was a free city, retaining some of the forms which belonged to it in 
its palmy days. The Athenians were curious and superstitious, Acts xvii, 
21-23. They disputed with Paul in the agora, Acts xvii, 17, 18. Paul 
went from the agora, or market-place, unto Areopagus, and stood in the 
midst of Mars' Hill, where he made his famous speech, Acts xvii, 22-31. 
Some of his audience "mocked;" others said, "We will hear thee again ;' ; 
while certain "clave unto him," Acts xvii, 32-34. A Christian Church ex- 
isted in Athens soon after the apostolic times. Tradition makes its first 
Bishop, Dionysius the Areopagite. See Areopagus. 

At'roth, crowns, a city of Gad. Num. xxxii, 34, 35. Doubtless this word 
should be connected with Shophan, thus: Atroth-Shophan, {the crowns of 
Shophan,) to distinguish it from the Ataroth named just before. 

Attali'a, (Map 8,) a maritime town of Pamphylia, which derived its 
name from its founder, Attains Philadelphia, King of Pergamos. Paul and 
Barnabas visited it, Acts xiv, 25, on their return to Antioch from the inland 



4:0 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

parts of Asia Minor. Its name in the twelfth century was Satalia, and it 
still exists under the name of Adalia. 

A'va, ruin, overturning ; also called Ivah, a State conquered by Sennach- 
erib, and from which colonists were sent to Samaria. They worshiped 
Nibhar and Tartak, 2 Kings xvii, 24, 31 ; xviii, 34; xix, 13. (Compare Ezra iv, 
9.) Some make it a city, the capital of the State. Its site is not certainly 
identified. Grove thinks it is identical with Hit on the Euphrates. 

A'ven, nothingness. 1. A plain called in the margin Bikath-Aven, Ames 
i, 5. It seems to be the great plain of Lebanon, in which is Baalbec, still 
called El BukoHa. 

2. The name applied to the city elsewhere called On or Heliopolis, Ezek. 
xxx, 17. 

3. A contracted form of Beth-Aven, that is, Bethel, Hos. x, 5, 8. 
A'vim, ruins, a city of Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 23 ; mentioned between 

Bethel and Parah. Some think that a remnant of the people called Avim 
may have lived then. 

A'vim, A'vims, or A'vites, (Map 3,) inhabitants of ruins, a tribe of early 
settlers in Palestine, near Gaza, displaced by the Caphtorim, Deut. ii, 23, 
who drove them northward, where they left a trace of themselves in the 
hills of Benjamin, Josh, xiii, 3; xviii, 23. See the preceding Avim. 

A'vites, the inhabitants of Ava, 2 Kings xvii, 31. See Ava. 

A'vith, ruins, a city of the Edomites, where King Hadad reigned, Gen. 
xxxvi, 35 ; 1 Chron. i, 46. It was probably situated at the north-east ex- 
tremity of the range of Mount Seir. 

A'zal, noble; root or declivity of a mountain (?); the place to which, ac- 
cording to Zech. xiv, 5, the cleft in Mount Olivet was to extend. 

Aze'kah, broken up, dug over, a city of Judah, Josh, xv, 35, where Joshua 
slew the five kings, Josh, x, 10, 11. Goliath was also slain near it, 1 Sam. 
xvii, 1. It was fortified by Behoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 9; besieged and taken 
by Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. xxxiv, 7 ; and rebuilt after the captivity, Neh. xi, 
30. Its site has not been certainly identified, but Mr. Porter places it at 
Tell Zakariya, in the north-west side of the valley of Elah, not far from Ain~ 
Shems. 

A'zem, a bone, a city allotted first to Judah, then to Simeon, Josh, xv, 
29 ; xix, 3. In 1 Chron. iv, 29 it is " Ezem." According to Wilton " lira 
and Azem " designate one place, which he identifies with the modern 
el-Aujeh of the 'Azazimeh Arabs. 

Az'maveth, strong as or to death, a village apparently in Benjamm, 
1 Chron. xii, 3; Ezra ii, 24; Neh. xii, 29. Some of its inhabitants returned 
from Babylon with Ezra. It is called Beth-Azmaveth in Neh. vii, 28. It is 
probably identical with Hizmeh, a village north of the site of Anathoth. 

Az'mon, strong, a place on the south boundary of Palestine, apparently 
at its west end, Num. xxxiv, 4, 5 ; Josh, xv, 4. Perhaps the ruins near 
Wady es-Shutin mark the site, about half-way between Elusa and Rehoboth. 

Az'noth-Ta'bor, ears (summits) of Tabor, a place on the borders of Naph' 
tali between Jordan and Hukkok. Josh, xix, 34. 

Azo'tus, Acts viii, 40 ; the Greek form of Ashdod, which see. 

Azo'tus, Mount, 1 Mace, ix, 15. A spot to which Judas Maccabeus pur- 
sued the enemy. 

Az zah, the strong, a more correct (but unusual) form of the name Gaza. 
Deut. ii, 23; 1 Kings iV, 24; Jer. xxv, 20; xlvii, 1, marg. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 41 

Ba'al, a lord or master, a city of Simeon, in the vicinity of Ain and Ashan, 
I Chron. iv, 33. It is the same as Baalath-Beer, Josh, xix, 8, and Ramath- 
Negeb. 

Ba alah, mistress, one that is governed. 1. A city in the south of Judah, 
Jcsh. xv, 29 ; apparently the same called Balah, xix, 3 ; also Bilhah, and 
assigned to Simeon. 1 Chron. iv, 29. In the first- named passage it forms 
part of the preceding name, thus : Bizjothjah-Baalah. 

2. Another name for Kirjath-Jearim, and therefore in the territory of 
Judah also, Josh, xv, 9, 10; 1 Chron. xiii, 6; otherwise called Baale of 
Judah, 2 Sam. vi, 2. In Josh, xv, 60, and xviii, 14, it is called Kirjath- 
Baal. See Kirjath-Jearim. 

3. A mountain on the north-west boundary of Judah, between^Shicron 
and Jabneel, Josh, xv, 11. 

Ba'alath, mistress, (another form of the name Baalah,) a town in the tribe 
of Dan. Josh. xix. 44. This is thought to be the place fortified or built by 
Solomon, 1 Kings ix, 18 ; 2 Chron. viii, 6 ; but the site and history are not 
certainly known. 

Ba'alath-Be'er, having a well, a city of Simeon, Josh, xix, 8 ; and probably 
the same with Baal in 1 Chron. iv, 33. Wilton supposes this another form 
of Bealoth, Josh, xv, 24, and identifies it with the ruined site called Kurnub, 
on the southern declivity of the swell or low ridge which bears the name of 
Kvbbe 1 ; el-Baul. It is doubtless identical with Ramoth-Negeb, or Southern 
Ramoth, Josh, xix, 8. Compare 1 Sam. xxx, 27. 

Baal'bec, (Map 5,) a city of Ccele-Syria, noted for its grand ruins ; sup- 
posed by many to be the site designated by Solomon's famous "House of 
the Forest of Lebanon," 1 Kings vii, 2 ; x, 17 ; 2 Chron. ix, 16. See 
Baal-Gad. 

Ba'ale of Ju'dah, lords or cities of Judah, a name of Kirjath-Jearim or 
Baalah. See Baalah (2.) 

Baal-Gad, (Map 20,) lord of fortune, a city in the Valley of Lebanon, 
under Mount Hermon, the northern boundary of Joshua's conquests, Josh, 
xi, 17; xii, 7 ; xiii, 5. Some have supposed this place identical with Baalbec ; 
but the expression of the text, " under Mount Hermon," and the too great 
distance of Baalbec to the north, are opposed to this supposition. Schwarz 
and Robinson agree upon Banias as the modern representative of Baal-Gad. 
It also seems to be the same with Baal-Hermon, Judg. iii, 3 ; 1 Chron. v, 23. 

Ba'al-Ha'mon, place of multitude, a place where Solomon is said to have 
had a vineyard, Sol. Song viii, 11. Its location is conjectural. Elsewhere 
(Judith viii, 3) possibly Balamo ; but uncertain. 

Ba'al-Ha'zor, having a village or hamlet, a place near Ephraim, where 
Absalom had a sheep-farm, and where he murdered Amnon, to averjgo his 
sister, 2 Sam. xiii, 23. Not known. 

Ba'al-Her'mon, (Map 5,) lord of Hermon. 1. A town, probably identical 
with Baal-Gad, Josh, xi, 17; 1 Chron. v, 23. 

2. A mountain. Probably Mount Hermon. Jebel es-Sheikh. See Lebanon. 

Ba'al-Me on, lord of dwelling, a Reubenite town, afterward Moabite, 
Num. xxxii, 38; Josh, xiii, 17, i Chron. v, 8 ; Ezek. xxv, 9. Elsewhere 
Beth-Baal- Meon, Beth-Meon, and perhaps Beon. About two miles south-east 
of Heshbon exist ruins thought to be on the site of this place, now called 
Mi tin or Main. 

Ba al-Per'azim, burstings forth, or having rents, a place in the valley of 



42 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Rephaim, so named by David on defeating the Philistines, 2 Sam. v, 20; 
1 Chron. xiv, 11. It is called in Isa. xxviii, 21, Mount Perazim, which 
see. 

Ba'al-Shal'isha, lord or place of Shalisha, or of three, a place of Ephraim, 
probably not far from the Gilgal of 2 Kings iv, 38, 42. 

Ba'al-Ta'mar, place of palm-trees, a place near Gibeah, where the other 
tribes defeated Benjamin, Judg. xx, 23. 

Ba'al-Ze'phon, (Map 2,) place of Typhon, or sacred to Typhon, a place of 
Egypt, by the Red Sea, near to which the Israelites crossed the Sea, Exod. 
xiv, 2 ; Num. xxxiii, 7. Its site cannot be positively determined. 

Ba'bel, confusion. The native etymology is Bab-il, " the gate of the god 
77," or, perhaps, simply "the gate of God," Gen. x, 10; xi, 9. The name 
originally given to the Tower of Babel; but afterward in all its other occur- 
rences this word is given in the authorized version, Babylon. Finally, (see 
Ezek. xxiii, 17, marg.,) the term referred to Babylonia. 

Bab'ylon, (Map 1,) (the Greek form of Babel, which see.) The name of 
several places : 

1. The great capital of the Chaldean monarchy. It was situated upon a 
wide plain on both sides of the Euphrates. This city seems to have grown 
up around the Tower of Babel, being founded by Nimrod, Gen. x. 10. It 
rose Into great importance and vast dimensions, becoming one of the most 
splendid cities of history. Semiramis and Nebuchadnezzar are those to 
whom the city was most indebted for increase in power and magnificence 
See Isa. xiv, 4; xiv, 1, 2; Jer. li, 58; Dan. iv, 30. 

According to Ctesias, the circuit of the city was a little less than forty- 
two miles. According to Herodotus, an immense double wall surrounded 
the city, the outer one being fifty-six miles in circumference. Authorities 
differ as to the dimensions of these walls. The lowest estimate makes thf*m 
three hundred and fifty feet high and eighty-seven thick; so that two spans 
of horses, four abreast, could easily pass each other behind the battlements. 
The wall was built of burnt brick and bitumen, with alternate layers of 
reeds, and surmounted with two hundred and fifty towers, of which thore 
were more on the east than on the west side, this latter being better pro- 
tected by bogs. The entire wall was surrounded by a broad, deep trench 
filled with water from the river. The city was entered by a hundred gates, 
the posts, wings, and beams of which were of brass, Jer. xiv, 2. It was 
protected from inundations of the Euphrates by quays, closed in wi^h gates 
of brass, from which walled steps led down to the river. The two parts ot 
the city were connected by a bridge, built by Nebuchadnezzar, of stone 
piers, and a movable floor of cedar and palm timber, which was removed at 
night. The last edifice built by this King was the royal castle, located near 
his father's palace, (the ruins of which are called El Kasr — castle hill.) It 
was of vast size, and most magnificent in adornments. Its outer wall em- 
braced six miles, within which were two other embattled walls, besides a 
great tower. Every important gate was of brass. Its greatest boast was 
the noted hanging gardens, constructed on an artificial hill by a succession 
of terraces four hundred feet square, and higher than the towers on the 
city walls, and watered by means of pumps from the river. They were de- 
signed to reconcile Queen Artemis to the contrast between the flat plain of 
Babylon and the beautiful hills of her native Media. These gardens con 
manded a grand view of the c ; ty and circumjacent plain. . Walking on the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 45 

highest terrace of these magnificent gardens, with such a prospect as he 
had before him, we may readily imagine how the vauhy of his heart would 
prompt King Nebuchadnezzar to exclaim, " Is not th.s great Babylon, that 
I have built for the house cf the kingdom by the might of my power, and 
for the honor of my majesty 1" Dan. iv, 30. 

While Babylon was the first city of Western Asia in extent, grandeur, 
wealth, art, cultivation, and learning, it also surpassed all others in wicked- 
ness. See Isa. xiv, 11; xlvii, 1; Jer. li, 39; Dan. v, 1. The seat of bound- 
less luxury, its people were addicted to every species of vice. " The rites 
of hospitality were polluted by the grossest and most shameless lusts. . . . 
The Babylonians were very greatly given to wine. . . . Women were present 
at their convivialities, first with some degree of propriety, but, growing 
worse and worse by degrees, they ended by throwing off at once their mod- 
esty and their clothing." — Q. Curtius. 

In view of the awful wickedness into which this city had fallen, the Di- 
vine vengeance came upon city and people with fearful power. Among the 
terrible and sublime prophecies concerning the fate of Babylon, see Isa. xiv, 
4-26; xxi, 1-10; xlvii; xlviii, 14-20; lxvi, 1, 2; Jer. xxi, 4-10 ; xxvii, 1-11; 
xxxii, 28, 29; xlix, 28-30; 1; li; Dan. ii, 21-38; iv, 10-26; v, 25-29; vii; 
Hab. i, 5-11. After a tedious siege the city was taken by Cyrus in 538 or 
539 B. C, Isa. xlvii; Dan. v; Jer. 1. It was stormed a second time during 
an insurrection by Darius Hystaspes, after a siege of nineteen months. 
Darius razed the walls, filled the trenches, and depopulated the city. 
Xerxes plundered the Temple of Belus. Alexander's thwarted attempt to 
restore its grandeur only put the disturbed ruins into greater confusion ; 
but the founding of Seleucia blasted all hope of restoring Babylon. Seleu- 
cia, Ctesiphon, El Maduin, and Kufa, and even the bridges of Bagdad, fifty 
miles north, were chiefly built of its bricks, which still continue an article 
of traffic. It is amazing that after two thousand years so much rubbish 
remains. No vegetation adorns the soil ; wild beasts prowl there ; and its 
ruins are most desolate. Thus most completely have divine prophecies been 
fulfilled. 

" The locality and principal structures of this once famous city are now 
almost universally admitted to be indicated by the remarkable remains near 
the modern village of HiUah, which lies on the west bank of the Euphrates, 
about fifty miles directly south of Bagdad. About five miles above Hillah, 
on the opposite bank of the river, occur a series of artificial mounds of 
enormous size, which have been recognized in all ages as probably indicat- 
ing the site of the capital of Southern Mesopotamia. They consist chiefly 
of three great masses of building: the high pile of unbaked brick- work, called 
by Rich l Mujellibe,'' but which is known to the Arabs as ' Babiif the build- 
ing denominated the ' Kasr, 1 or palace, and a lofty mound upon which 
stands the modern tomb of Amran ibn-Alb. Besides these principal masses, 
the most remarkable features are two parallel .lines of rampart bounding the 
chief ruins on the east, some similar but inferior remains on the north and 
west, an embankment along the river-side, a remarkable isolated heap in 
the middle of a long valley, which seems to have been the ancient bed of 
the stream, and two long lines of rampart, meeting at a right angle, *md 
with the river forming an irregular triangle, within which all the ruins on 
tliis side (except Babil) are inclosed. On the west, or right bank, the re- 
mains are very slight and scanty. There is the appearance of an incloiure, 



4:6 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

and of a building of moderate size within it, nearly opposite the great 
mound of Amran ; but otherwise, unless at a long distance from the stream, 
this side of the Euphrates is absolutely bare of ruins." (See Rawlinson's 
Herodotus, ii, 473.) 

" Scattered over the country on both sides of the Euphrates, and reduci- 
ble to no regular plan, are a number of remarkable mounds, usually stand- 
ing single, which are plainly of the same date with the great mass of ruins 
upon 'lie river-bank. Of these by far the most striking is the vast ruin 
ca 'led the Birs Nimrud, which many regard as the Tower of Babel, situ- 
ated about six miles to the south-west of Hillah, and almost that distance 
from the Euphrates at the nearest point. This is a pyramidical mound, 
crowned apparently by the ruins of a tower, rising to the height of one 
hundred and fifty -three and a half feet above the level of the plain, and in 
circumference somewhat more than two thousand feet. There is con- 
siderable reason to believe, from the inscriptions discovered on the 
spot, and from other documents of the time of Nebuchadnezzar, that it 
marks the site of Borsippa, and may thus have been beyond the limits of 
Babylon." 

In regard to the above ruins the following conclusions are considered the 
most probable : 1. The mass of ruins known as Babil is the remnant of the 
ancient temple of Belus, which was rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar. 2. The 
Kasr will mark the site of the great palace of Nebuchadnezzar. 3. The 
mound of Amran, thought by some to be the site of the "hanging gardens," 
most probably represents the ancient palace, coeval with Babylon itself, of 
which Nebuchadnezzar speaks in his inscriptions as adjoining his own more 
magnificent residence. It is the only part of the ruins from which bricks 
have been derived containing the names of kings earlier than Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and is, therefore, entitled to be considered the most ancient of the 
existing remains. 4. The ruins njar each side of the Euphrates, together 
with all the other remains on the west bank, may be considered to repre- 
sent the lesser palace of Ctesias, which is said to have been connected with 
all the other remains by a bridge across the river, as well as by a tunnel 
under the channel of the stream. 5. The two long parallel lines of em- 
bankment on the east may be either the lines of an outer and inner inclo- 
sure, of which Nebuchadnezzar speaks as defenses of his palace, or they 
may represent the embankments of an enormous reservoir, which is often 
mentioned by that monarch as adjoining his palace toward the east. 6. The 
southernmost embankment, near the east bank of the river, is composed of 
bricks marked with the name of Labynetus or Nabunit, and is undoubtedly 
a portion of the work which Berosus ascribes to the last king. 7. As to 
Birs Nimrud, Rawlinson excludes it (as noted above) from the limits oi 
Babylon, while M. Oppert includes it in the circuit of the city. For full de- 
tails of this whole subject see Kitto's Cyclopedia; Smith's Bible Diction- 
ary ; Ayre's Treasury of Bible Knowledge; Herzog's Encyclopedia; M'Clhv 
tock and Strong's Cyclopedia; Layard's Nineveh and Babylon. 

2. There was another Babylon in Egypt, founded by Babylonians whe 
settled along the Nile after the Persian invasions, but it is not alluded to in 
the Bible. 

3. The Babylon of 1 Pet. v, 13, doubtless refers to ancient Babylon, a 
portion of whose ruins was long occupied by Jews. 

4. The Babylon of Revelation stands for the city of Rome. Rev. xiv, 8 ; 




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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 53 

xvi, 19; xvii, 5; xviii, 2. In Rev. xvii, 18, "that great city which ruleth 
over the kings of the earth " could refer to no other city but Rome. 

Babylonia, (Maps 1 and 16,) the Greek and Roman name of the country 
called in the Old Testament " the land of Ute Chaldeans,' 1 '' Jer. xxiv, 5; xxv, 
12: Ezek. xii, 13. It designates the territory lying along the Euphrates 
and Tigris from the point where they approach nearest to each other to the 
Persian Gulf, having Mesopotamia (A nun) and Assyria on the north and 
Arabia on the west. Babylon was its chief city. As Babylon became the 
c< nter of an Asiatic empire, it was all called "Babylonia" in a wider sense. 
In Hebrew, Babylonia bore the name of Shinar, (the name always found upon 
native inscriptions.) or "the land of Shinar;" while "Babylon," and the 
"land of the Chaldeans," seem to signify the empire of Babylon. For names 
Fee Isa. xiii, 19; Jer. 1, 21; xxv, 26; Dan. i, 2; Job i, 17; Isa. xlvii, 1; 
Ezek. xii, 13. For division and boundaries see 2 Kings xvii, 24; Isa. xxiii, 
12, 13 ; Dan. iii, 1 ; Acts vii, 4. 

Babylonia is a broad plain of exceeding fertility, yielding in vast abun- 
dance grain, palms, and tamarisks, but producing no timber-trees. A dense 
population once covered this plain, as countless mounds of ruins still exist- 
ing, and the surviving names of numerous cities, (Erech. Accad, Chalne, Sip- 
para, etc.,) testify; but being infested with Arab robbers it is shunned by 
travelers. The inhabitants of Shinar belonged to the Shemitic race, spoke 
a Slieinitic dialect — the Aramaic or Chaldaic, — and were called Chasdim, 
or Chaldeans, after one of the chief and oldest nations of the laud. See 
Chaldev. 

The Babylonians excelled in the manufacture of cloths, garments, etc., 
Josh, vii, 21. They maintained a very extensive commerce, Josh, vii, 21; 
Isa. xliii, 14; Ezek. xvi, 29 ; xvii, 4. With increasing prosperity, luxury and 
vice also increased. They anointed their bodies with myrrh, and over 
linen shirt wore a woolen garment, bound round the loins with a girdle, 
reaching to the ankles, and outside of this a white mantilla. They wore 
long hair with a band, Ezek. xxiii, 15, et seq. They were proficient in as- 
tronomy aud astrology, Isa. xlvii, 13; Dan. ii, 2. It was the Babylonians 
who discovered the Zodiac and divided the week into seven days, corre- 
sponding with the quarters of the moons. The priests devoted themselves 
to this science and made it the basis of the religion of the country, 2 Kings 
xxiii, 5, 7 ; Dan. iv, 4. Their astronomical observations, recorded on tiles, 
and long preserved in the Temple of Belus, extend to 2.000 years B. C. 

The power of Babylon once ruled the world; but long since have been 
fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah, (xlvii, 1, 5.) "Come down, and sit in 
the dust. ... Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, daughter of the 
Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called the lady of kingdoms." The 
chief city has "become heaps," Jer. Ii, 37. The system of irrigation, on 
which the fertility of Babylonia depends, has long been laid aside, and "a 
drought is upon her waters," 1, 39. Her cities are every-where "a desola- 
tion," h, 43, and her land a wilderness, the abode of "owls" and "wild 
beasts of the desert." Isa. xiii, 19, 21, 22; Jer. 1. The natives regard the 
whole site as haunted, and will there neither "pitch tent," nor will "the 
shepherd fold sheep there," Isa. xiii, 20. 

Baca, lamentation, iveeping, the name of a valley apparently near to Jeru- 
salem, probably dry and sterile. The Psalmist in vision sees the returning 
pilgrims passing through this valley on their way to Zion, shedding tears of 

3 



54 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

joy so plentifully as to make this barren valley a place of springs, Psa. lxxxiv 
6 TLe plural of this word is rendered "mulberry-trees" in 2 Sam. v, 23. 
24; 1 Chron. xiv, 14, 15. 

Bahu'rim, young men, a village not far from Jerusalem, connected with 
the flight of David from Absalom. It probably lay on or near the road lead- 
ing from the Jordan valley to Jerusalem, beyond Olivet to the east, 2 Sam. 
iii, 16. Here Shimei cursed David, 2 Sam. xvi, 5; and David's two spies hid 
in a well, xvii, 18. Here Phaltiel bade farewell to his wife on her return to 
David at Hebron, iii, 16. Besides Shimei, the only other native of Bahurira 
recorded is Azmaveth "the Barhumite," 2 Sam. xxiii, 31, or "the Baharu- 
mitc," 1 Chron. xi, 33. It is possibly identical with Fakhoury, near Olivet. 

Balah, a contraction of the name Baalah or Bilhah, a to ,vn of Simeon, 
Josh, ix, 3. The same as Bilhal, 1 Chron. iv, 29; or Baalal Josh, xv, f9. 
See also Bizjothjah. 

Bal'amo, a place near Dothaim, Judith viii, 3 ; supposed to be a corrup- 
tion of Baal-ham on. 

Ba'moth, (Map 2,) heights, a station of the Israelites in the territory of 
Moab, Num. xxi, 19, 20; comp. xxviii. It is probably alluded to in Isa. xv, 
2, and is doubtless the same with Bamoth-Baal. 

Bamoth-Baal, heights of Baal, a place in Moab, Josh, xiii, 17 In Num. 
xxii, 41, it is translated "the high places of Baal." Elsewhere probably 
Bamoth. The site may be on the present Jebel Attarus. 

Ban'ias. See C^esarea Philippi. 

Bas'cama, a place in Gilead, the scene of Judas Maccabeus's death, 
I Mace, xiii, 23. 

Ba'shan, (Map 5,) light or sandy soil, a district east of Jordan. Compare 
Gen. xiv, 5, with Josh, xiii, 12; Deut. iv, 47. Sometimes it is called "the 
land of Bashan," 1 Chron. v, 11. See also Num. xxi, 33; xxxii, 33. Also 
"all Bashan," Deut. iii, 10, 13; Josh, xii, 5; xiii, 12, 30. 

It reached from Gilead to Hermon, and from the Jordan Yalley to S<ri- 
chah ; embracing the four (later) provinces, Gaulonitis, the modern Jaulan , 
Trachonitis, the ancient Argob, now the Lejah ; Auranitis, the Hauran ; and 
Batansea, or Ard-el-Bathanyeh. It is for the most part a stony, hilly country, 
made up in the northern part, as far as Jarmuk, of black basalt, and in the 
southern of limestone, and abounds with rich woodlands and pastures. 
Hence the Scripture references to fruit fulness and fat pastures, Jer. 1, 19; 
Micah vii, 14 ; Isa. xxxiii, 9; Nahum i, 4. Its cattle and flocks, Deut 
xxxii, 14; Psa. xxii, 12; p]zek. xxxix, 18; Amos iv, 1. Its famous oaks, 
Tsa. ii, 13 ; Ezek. xxvii, 6 ; Zech. xi, 2. The early inhabitants were Amo- 
rites, some of whom were men of gigantic stature, Deut. iii, 11-13 ; iv, 47. At 
the time the Israelites entered, Og, King of the Amorites, ruled over the 
people descended from the old giant races of the land, (Josh, xii, 4,) and 
who lived in walled cities. Ashtoreth and Edrei were the principal cities, 
Deut. i, 4 ; Josh, xii, 4. * After defeating the King of Sihon at Jahaz tho 
Israelites turned upon Og, King of Bashan, and defeated him in a great bat- 
tle at Edrei, and seized his land, assigning it to the half-tribe of Manasseb, 
Num. xxi, 23. The country east of Jordan continued in the possession of 
the kingdom of Judah until the time of Jehu, when the Syrian king, Hazael 
of Damascus, took it from Israel, although it was afterward recovered by 
Jeroboam II., 2 Kings x, 32, 33 ; xiv, 25. 

The modern examination of this region bears a remarkable testimony to 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 55 

the faithfulness and accuracy of Bible narrative and description. Late 
travelers tell of vast ruins scattered over a wide extent, revealing the for- 
mer existence of numerous and splendid cities. (See Argob.) Many of 
these cities still exist in almost perfect condition, yet without an inhabit- 
ant. Some of them, however, which Mr. Porter found only a few years ago 
wholly unoccupied, are beginning now to be inhabited. (See " The Bob Roy 
on the Jordan" by Macgregor; Porter's Damascus; and Porter's Giant 
Cities.) 

Ba'shan-Ha'voth-Ja'ir, (Map 13,) Bashan of the villages of Jair, the 
name given by Jair to the region of Argob, conquered by him in Bashan, 
Dent, iii, 14. It contained sixty cities, with walls and brazen gates, Josh. 
xiii, 30; 1 Kings iv, 13. In Num. xxxii, 41, it is called Havoth- Jair, which 
see. 

Bath-rab'bim, daughter of many, a gate of the city of Heshbon, near 
which were pools or tanks, Sol. Song, vii, 4. 

Bathzachari'as, House of Zacharias, a place between Jerusalem and 
Bethsura, 1 Mace, vi, 32, 33. It is now Beit Sakdriyeh, about five miles south 
of Bethlehem. 

Be'aloth, (Map 13,) corporations, or citizens, (the plur. fern, of Baal,) the 
name of two places. 1. A town in the extreme south of Judah, Josh, xv, 24, 
probably the same as the Baalath-Beer of xix, 8. Not certainly known. 

2. A district of Asher, of which Baanah ben-Hushai was Solomon's 
commissariat, 1 Kings iv, 16, (where the authorized version renders incor- 
rectly " in Aloth.") 

Bec'tileth, The Plain of, between Nineveh and Cilicia, Judith ii, 21. 
Perhaps it is a corruption of "the plain of Bekd'a;" but quite uncertain. 

Beer, (Map 2,) a well. 1. A halting place of the Israelites after they had 
crossed the Arnon. According to God's command and promise the princes 
here dug a well, Num. xxi, 16-18. The place is probably identical with 
Beer-Elim. 

2. A town in Judah to which Jotham fled, Judg. ix, 21. The site is not 
certainly known ; but some identify it with Beeroth. 

Be'er-E'lim, luell of heroes, a place on the "border of Moab," Isa. xv, 8. 
Probably it is the same with Beer, (1.) 

Be'er-Lahai'-Roi, (Map 2,) the well of the living one that sees me, or of 
the living and seeing God. A fountain, between Kadesh and Bered, near 
which the angel of the Lord found Hagar, Gen. xvi, 7, 14. Isaac dwelt 
near it, Gen. xxiv, 62 ; xxv, 1 1. In these last two passages the authorized 
version lias "the well Lahai-roi." The site is not determined positively. 

Bee'roth, (Map 6,) wells. One of the four Hivite or Gibeonite cities that 
made peace with the Israelites, Josh, ix, 17; aUotted to Benjamin, Josh, 
xviii, 25; 2 Sam. iv, 2; Ezek. ii, 25; Neh. vii, 29. In 2 Sam. xxiii, 37, men- 
tion is made of Naharai "the Beerothite," (and in 1 Chron. xi, 39, "the 
Berothite,") one of the " mighty men" of David's guard; It is now identified 
as el-Bireh, ten miles north of Jerusalem, a village of seven hundred inhabit- 
ants. According to tradition, it was at this place that Jesus was missed by his 
parents when returning from Jerusalem, Luke ii, 44. To this day travelers 
going northward often halt here after the first day's journey from Jerusalem. 

Bee'roth-Be'ne-Ja'akan, (Map 2,) the wells of the sons of Jaakan, a group 
of wells in the wilderness; a station of the Israelites, Deut. x, 6. Else- 
where Bene-Ja'akan, Num. xxxiii, 31, 32. 



56 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Be'er-She'ba, or Be-er'-Sheba, (Map 5,) well of the oath, or of seven. A city 
on the south frontier of Palestine. It is first mentioned m the history of Abra- 
ham, who planted a grove and dwelt there, Gen. xxi, 31-33 ; xxii, 19. Abim- 
elech, King of Gerar, came to make a covenant with Abraham, and, either 
from the oath sworn by the two, or from the seven lambs which he desired 
Abimelech to receive in token that he (the patriarch) had dug a well the pos- 
session of which was disputed, the place was called Beer-Sheba, Gen. xxi, 
22-31. Many years later Isaac sojourned in Gerar, but he was obliged to 
leave it in consequence of the jealousy of the Philistines, who strove with 
him for the wells which both his father and himself had digged. The then 
Abimelech, however, followed him to Beer-Sheba, thinking it politic to bind 
by an oath of friendship so great a chief as Isaac. Isaac entertained him 
hospitably, the covenant was made, the oath was sworn ; and, just after 
the king's departure, Isaac's servants informed him of the discovery of a 
fresh well. With the solemn oath which he had sworn fresh in his mind, 
tie called it "the oath-well," Beer-Sheba. The name had existed before, 
but there was additional propriety in it now; and the town, of which 
nothing was previously said, from this (perhaps gradually) took the appel- 
lation which it ever afterward retained, Gen. xxvi, 12-33. Jacob left 
Beer-Sheba for Haran, Gen. xxviii, 10; and here also he offered sacrifices on 
his way to Egypt, xlvi, 1. In Josh, xv, 28, it appears as one of the 
cities of Judah; and in Josh, xix, 2, and in 1 Chron. iv, 28, as given to 
Simeon. Samuel's sons were appointed deputy-judges for the southern- 
most districts of Beer-Sheba. 1 Sam. viii, 2. By the time of the monarchy 
it had become recognized as the most southerly place of the country. Its 
position as the place of arrival and departure for the caravans trading 
between Palestine and the countries lying in that direction would naturally 
lead to the formation of a town round the wells of the patriarchs, and the 
great Egyptian trade begun by Srlomon must have increased its importance. 

Hither Joab's census extended, 2 Sam. xxiv, 7 ; 1 Chron. xxi, 2 ; and here 
Elijah bade farewell to his confidential servant before taking his journey 
across the desert to Sinai, 1 Kings xix, 3.- 

"From Dan to Beer-Sheba," Judg. xx, 1, or "from Beer-Sheba to Dan," 
1 Chron. xxi, 2, (comp. 2 Sam. xxiv, 2,) now became the formula for the whole 
of the Promised Land; just as "from Geba to Beer-Sheba," 2 Kings xxiii, 8, 
or " from Beer-Sheba to Mount Ephraim," 2 Chron. xix, 4, was that for the 
southern kingdom after the disruption. After the return from the captivity 
the formula was narrowed still more, and became " from Beer-Sheba to the 
Valley of Hinnom," Neh. xi, 30. Later it seems to have been a seat of idol- 
atry, Amos v, 5; viii, 14; and it was inhabited after the captivity, Neh. xi, 
27, 30. 

After Nehemiah no mention is made of it. The site seems to have been 
almost forgotten till the fourteenth century, when Sir John Maundeville and 
others recognized the name at a place which they passed on their route 
from Sinai to Hebron. It was then uninhabited, but some of the churches 
were still standing. Nothing of consequence was afterward learned until 
the visit of Dr. Robinson, who found "two deep wells, still called Bir es- 
Seba," the ancient Beer-Sheba. The largest of these wells he found to be 
twelve and a half feet in diameter, and forty-four and a half feet to the sur- 
face of the water, with masonry reaching downward twenty-eight and a 
half feet. The smaller well was five feet in diameter, and was forty-two feet 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 57 

to the water. The site is about twenty-seven miles south-east from Gaza. 
A few ruins suggest the idea of a small straggling city, built over the low 
hills to the north of the wells, and in the hollows between. 

Beesh'-Terah, house of Astarte. A city of Bashan, allotted from the dis- 
trict of the half-tribe of Manasseh to the Gershonite Levites, Josh, xxi, 27. 
Elsewhere Ashtaroth, 1 Chrou. vi, 71. 

Be'la, destruction swallowed. The least of the cities of the plain <*f Sod- 
om, afterward called Zoar, Gen. xiv, 2, 8. It was spared by Lot's inter- 
cession, Gen. six, 20, 30. See Sodom and Zoar. 

Bel maim, a place apparently south of Dotliaim, Judith vii, 3. It is 
doubtless the same as Belmen. 

Bel'men, a place mentioned as between Bethhoron and Jericho, Judith iv, 4. 
Doubtless it is the same as Belmaim ; but nothing is known of either place. 

Ben'e-Be'rak, sons of lightning, one of the cities of Dan, Josh, xix, 4, 6. 
The site is not certainly known. 

Be ne-Ja'akan, soyis of Jaakan, the name of the tribe of Jaakan or 
Akan the Horite. It is used as an abbreviation for Beeroth (the wells of 
the) Beue-Jaakan, Num. xxxiii, 31, 32, a halting place of the Israelites. 

Benjamin, (Map 5,) son of the right hand, the name of the tribe called 
after the youngest son of Jacob. In the first census taken at Sinai, Num. 
i, 36, 37, the Benjamite males of military age numbered 35.400. Their 
place was on the west of the tabernacle ; their captain was Abidan, the son 
of Gideoni, Num. ii, 22, 23. Later they had increased to 45,600, Num. 
xxvi, 41. Their families-, Num. xxvi, 38-40; 1 Chrou. vii, 6-12; 1 Chron. 
viii. Moses's blessing upon them, Deut. xxxiii, 12. The allotment of the 
tribe in Canaan lay between Ephraimand Judah, immediately north of Jeru- 
salem, Josh, xviii, 1 1-28. It was a compact oblong, about twenty-six miles 
long by twelve in breadth. It is said to have beeu a very fertile region, and 
admirably situated for the development of the characteristics of the tribe. 
Its passes and its heights were the distinguishing features ; the leading 
events in the fastnesses of the tribe of Benjamin received a special charac- 
ter from the heights or the passes of the territory. The tribe was not able 
alone to expel the Jebusites, Judg. i, 21. We may mention among the events 
of note that they assisted Deborah, Judg. v, 14; they were invaded by the 
Ammonites, x, 9; they had war with the other tribes, Judg. xix, xx; at 
Shiloh they were provided with wives, Judg. xxi. To Benjamin belougs the 
houor of giving the first king to Israel, Saul, 1 Psa. ix, 1, 17; x, 20, 21. A 
band of this tribe was with David at Ziklag, 1 Chron. xii, 1, 2, 16. In the 
census by Joab, the tribe was not numbered with the rest of Israel, 

1 Chron. xxi, 6. The allegiance of the Benjamites was preserved to Ish- 
Bosheth, 2 Sam. ii, 9, 15, 31 ; 1 Chron. xii, 29. They returned to David 

2 Sam. iii, 19; xix, 16, 17. They adhered to Rehoboam, 1 Kings xii, 21, 
2 Chron. xi, 1. For notice of their armies under Asa, see 2 Chron. xiv, 8; 
under Jehoshaphat. xvii, 17. Their skill as bowmen and slingers, Judg. 
iii, 15; xx, 16; 1 Chron. viii, 40; xii, 2. On their return from captivity, 
see Ezra i, 5. The Benjamites at some periods of their history seem to 
have occupied towns beyond their own boundary, 1 Chron. viii, 12, 13; 
Neh. xi, 35. Benjamin and Judah were in close alliance, and sometimes a 
single term included them both, 1 Kings xi, 13; xii, 20. After the death of 
Solomon Benjamin espoused the cause of Judah, and the two formed a king- 
dom by themselves. The temple was the common property of both trihea. 



58 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

It was built by ^jidah, but the city of " the Jebusite," Josh, xvii;, 28, and 
the whole of the ground north of the Valley of Hinnom, was in the lot of 
Benjamin. After the exile, also, these two tribes constituted the flower of 
the new Jewish colony in Palestine. Comp. Ezra iv, 1 ; x, 9. The indi- 
viduality of Benjamin was preserved by frequent mention, Ezra ii; Neh. 
vi; xi. At Jerusalem (doubtless on the north side) was "The High Gate 
of Benjamin," Zech. xiv, 10; Jer. xx, 2. The genealogy of Saul is care- 
fully preserved in 1 Chron. viii and ix ; the name of Kish recurs as the 
father of Mordecai, the deliverer of the nation, Esth. ii, 5. Again the royal 
name appears in Rom. xi, 1 ; Phil, iii, 5, where " Saul, who also is called 
Paul," has left on record under his own hand that he was "of the stock of 
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin." 

Be'on, Num. xxxii, 3, probably a contraction of Beth-Meon, Jer. xlviii, 
23. A place of pasturage east of Jordan. 

Ber'achah, (Map 6,) blessing, a valley where Jehoshaphat gained a vic- 
tory over Ammon, 2 Chron. xx, 26; and where the people assembled to 
praise God after the battle. It is still called Wady Bereikut, near the 
ruined village of the same name, west of Tekua, between Bethlehem and 
Hebron. 

Be re a, heavy, weighty, a place in Judea, near Jerusalem, mentioned in 
1 Mace, ix, 4, where Bacchides encamped. Grove says it is now possibly 
el-Bireh, ten miles north of Jerusalem. 

Bere'a, (Map 8,) a city of Macedonia, not far from Pella, at the foot of Mt. 
Bermius. Paul and Silas being persecuted in Thessalonica, retired to this 
city, being followed thither by their tormentors, Acts xvii, 10, 14, 15. 
Sopater, one of Paul's companions, was from Berea, Acts xx, 4. The resi- 
dent Jews of Berea must have been considerable in numbers, while their 
character is highly commended by the sacred writer, Acts xvii, 11, 12. 
This was a large and populous city, being afterward called Irenopolis. It 
is now known as Verria, in Roumelia, and has a population of from 15,000 
to 20,000. 

Be red, hail, a place in the south of Palestine, near the well Lahai-Roi, 
Gen. xvi, 14. It is supposed by some to be at el-Khulasah, twelve miles 
•south of Beer-Sheba. 

Beroe'a, (Map 8,) a city spoken of in 2 Mace, xiii, 4, in connection with 
the invasion of Judea by Antiochus Eupator, as the scene of the miserable 
death of Menelaus. It was situated about midway between Antioch in 
Syria and Hieropolis. It is considered the modern Aleppo, whose popula- 
tion is about 100,000. 

Be'roth. 1 Esdras v, 19. A form of Beeroth, Ezra ii, 25. 

Bero than, and Ber othai, my vjells, or, according to some, place o) 
cypresses. The first of these two names occurs only in Ezek. xlvii, 16, as 
forming a part of the northern boundary of Palestine. The other name 
occurs (but once also) in 2 Sam. viii, 8, being mentioned as a town, from 
which David took much brass. By some these two places are supposed to 
be identical. Some have imagined the modern Beirut identical with one of 
the two. But all opinions are merely conjectural. 

Be'sor, (Map 5,) the cool, a torrent flowing into the Mediterranean near 
Gaza. It was near this brook that David's men pursued the Amalekites 
who had burnt the town of Ziklag, not far distant, 1 Sam. xxx, 9, 10, 21. 

Be tah, confidence, a Syrian city from which David took much brass, 



BIBLE GE0GRAPE1T. 59 

2 Sam viii, 8. It is called Tibhath in 1 Chron. xviii, 8. Grove says ii is now 
"perhaps Taibeh, between Palmyra and Aleppo; but very uncertain." 

Bet'ane, a place mentioned in Judith i, 9, and apparently south of Jeru- 
salem. Unknown. 

Be ten, belly, or perhaps valley, a place mentioned in Josh, xix, 25 as a 
border town of Asher. Unknown. 

Bethabara, (Map 20,) place or house of passage, the ferry. A place be- 
yond Jordan where John was baptizing, John i, 28. The name is possiblv 
a corruption of Beth-Mmrah, in which case it may be Nirnrin, ou the road 
from Jericho to es-Salt. Possibly it is also identical with Beth-Barah, Judg. 
vii, 24. Gonder suggests that the true site may be farther north, near Wady 
Jalud, at Makhddhel i Abdra, the "Ford of the Crossing Over." 

Beth'-Anath, house of response, a fortified city of Naphtah named with 
Beth-Shemesh, Josh, xix, 88; Judg. i, 33. Possibly the modern Ainath. 

Beth -Anoth, house of response, a city in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 
59. It is probably identified with Beit-' Ainun, about one and a half hours 
north-east of Hebron, where are extensive ruins. 

Beth'any, (Map 5,) house of dates, (by some, Itouse of affliction or depression.) 

1. A small town or village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, 
fifteen furlongs (two Roman miles) from Jerusalem, Mark xi, 1, 11, 12 ; Luke 
xix, 29; John xi, 18. It is near the point where the road to Jericho begins 
to desceud more steeply to the Jordan valley. Many fruit and other trees — 
olives, pomegranates, almonds, oaks, etc. — give the place an air of seclusion 
vnd repose. Bethany is endeared to every Christian heart. It was here 
that our Lord often lodged after the weary toils of the day, Matt, xxi, 17. 
Here he showed the tenderness of friendship manifested so beautifully 
toward Lazarus and his sisters. Here Lazarus was raised from the dead, 
John ii. Jesus was here feasted and anointed, Matt, xxvi, 6-13. The as- 
cension of our Lord took place on his way to Bethany, Luke xxiv, 50. It is 
now a wretched village of about twenty families, called by the Arabians 
el 'Azariyeh, (from eVAzar, Lazarus.) There remain some relics of antiquity 
in the form of large beveled stones, probably taken from old buildings. 
The monks point out various objects of curiosity, as the house of Mary and 
Martha, and of Simon; the stone on which Jesus sat, (John xi, 20, 28, 30,) 
and the grave of Lazarus — a deep vault, like a cellar, excavated in. the lime- 
stone rock ir the middle of the village, (contrary to John xi, 31, 38,) in which 
the Franciscans say mass twice a year. The building which formerly 
covered the grave, and of which only the stone walls remain, is called the 
Castle of Lazarus, and is said to have been a church built by St. Helena. We 
have no certain information as to the real age and character of these ruins. 

2. In John i, 28, the best MSS. have Bethany for Bethabara. 

Beth-Ar'abah, house of the desert, one of the six cities enumerated as be- 
longing to Judah in the wilderness, Josh, xv, 6, 61. Elsewhere it is as- 
signed to Benjamin, xviii, 22. It was probably at the north end of the De -A 
Sea, on the boundary between the two tribes. It is unknown. 

Beth-A'ram, house of the height, mountain-house, a town of Gad in " the 
valley," (not the Jordan valley.) Josh, xiii, 27 ; doubtless also the Beth- 
Haran of Num. xxxii, 36. In later times it was called Livias, after the Era- 
press Li via. It was probably situated in the Wady Stir, which falls into 
the Glior opposite Jericho. According to Van de Velde the ruius are still 
called Beit-IIaran. 



CO BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Beth-Ar'beh, house of God's court or courts, (or ambush.) A { lace referred 
to in Hosea x, 14, as destroyed by Shalrnan or Shalraaneser. It is probably 
the same with Arbela, the modern Irbid, west of the Lake of Galilee. Tha 
place seems to have been famous for its caverns. 

Beth-A'ven, house of nothingness, (that is, of idols,) a town of Benjamin east 
of Bethel, Josh, vii, 2; 1 Sam. xiii, 5; xiv, 23. The wJdemess (pasture- 
ground) of Beth-Aven is mentioned in Josh, xviii, 12. The prophet Hosea in 
sarcasm uses it as a synonym for the neighboring town of Bethel, Hosea iv, 
]5; v, 8; x, 5, 8, once the "house of God," but then the "house of idols." 

Beth-Az'maveth, house of Azmaveth, (house strong as death,) a town of 
Benjamin, whose inhabitants returned with Zerubbabel from Babylon, Nell. 
vii, 28. It is called Azmaveth in Neh. xii, 29; P^zra ii, 24. It is possibly 
identical with Jlizmeh, a village on the hills of Benjamin. 

Beth-Ba'al-Me'on, house of Baal-Meon, a place in Reuben, on the Mishoi 
or Downs, Josh, xiii, 17. Elsewhere Baal-Meon, Beth-Meon, and Beon. Prob- 
ably the ruins of Main mark the site, a short distance south-west of Ilesbdn. 
See Baal-Meon. 

Beth-Ba'rah, house of crossing, passages, a place or ford south of Beisan. 
(Judg. vii, 24,) probably identical with Bethabara. 

Beth-Ba'si, a place probably in the Jordan Valley, near Jericho, repaired 
by Jonathan and Simon Maccabeus, 1 Mace, ix, 62, 64. The more probable 
form would be Beth-Keziz. See Keziz. 

Beth-Bir'ei, house of my creation, a town of Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 31. It 
is probably the same with Betii-Lebaoth, (which see,) Josh, xix, 6, and 
" ebaoth, Josh, xv, 32. 

Beth'-Car, house of pasture, sheep-house, a place west of Mizpeh, the site 
M' the stone Ebenezer, 1 Sam. vii, 11. It is unknown. 

Beth-Da'gon, (Map 5,) house or temple of Dagon, the name of several Phil- 
istine settlements. 

1. A town in the low country of Judah, Josh, xv, 41. 

2. A place on the border of Asher, Josh, xix, 27. 

3. The temple of Dagon at Azotus, (Ashdod,) 1 Mace, x, 83. 

The corresponding modern name Btit-Dejan is of frequent occurrence in 
Palestine; a fact which doubtless proves that the worship of the Philistine 
god had spread far beyond the Philistine territory. 

Beth-Diblatha'im, (Map 2,) home of Diblathaim, a city of Moab, denounced 
by the prophet, Jer. xlviii, 22. Elsewhere Almon-Diblathaim, Num. xxxiii, 
46, and Diblathaim, which see. 

Beth-E den, house of -pleasantness, a name appearing in Amos i, 5, marg. 
Our version renders it " the house of Eden." It may have been tt<? seat of 
a petty prince, or, more probably, an occasional residence of the kings of Syria. 
Some think it was the Paradisus of Ptolemy. There are various conjectures 
as to its locality, but none are satisfactory. Robinson places it near Damas- 
cus on the north, at the ruined village Jusieh el-Kadlmeh. Another mere 
conjecture places it at Bdt-Jenn, " the house of Paradise," not far to the 
south-west of Damascus, a short distance from Medjel. 

Beth-E'ked, house of binding, (that is, the sheep.) The name of a place 
near Samaria, being the " shearing-house " at the pit or well of which tho 
forty-two brethren of Ahaziah were slain by Jehu, 2 Kings x, 12, ]4. In 
verse 12 the form is Beth-Eked-Haroim, for which in the authorized version 
there is no equivalent. It probably lay between Jezreel and Samaria, in the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 61 

plain of Esdraelon. Robinson thinks it is Beit- End, on the edge of "the 
great plaiu " east of Jeiiin. 

Beth' el, (Map 5.) house of God. 

1. A town and sanctuary in central Palestine in the tribe of Benjamin, 
(though also given to Ephraim,) situated about twelve miles north of Jeru- 
salem. The name was first given by Jacob to the spot close by the city of 
Luz. where he had his marvelous vision, and where he set up a stone pillar, 
pouring oil upon it. Gen. xxviii, 11-22. It was here that Abraham pitched 
his tent. Gen xii, 8; xiii, 3. On Jacob's return from Padan-Aram he again 
visited the spot, built an altar, and again consecrated a pillar, renewing and 
confirming the name he had before given it, xxxv. 6-15. The prophet Hosea 
(Hosea xii, 4, 5) refers to this latter circumstance. Some have thought the 
original name of Bethel was Luz. But this is a mistake. We find the name 
in Josh, vii, 2; viii, 9, 12, 17; xii, 9; but the distinction between Bethel, as 
afterward settled, and Luz is marked, xvi, 1, 2; and when the place was as- 
signed to the tribe of Benjamin, (xviii, 13, 22,) no doubt the new buildings 
collected round the sacred spot ; and whereas there had been Luz, there now 
was Bethel, occupying virtually the position of the old city, and yet not pre- 
cisely on the original site. The capture of Luz is recorded in Judg. i, 22, 
23. Thenceforth Bethel was a holy city; possibly the tabernacle might for 
awhile have been here. (See Ju.g. xx, 18, 26, 31 ; xxi, 2, 19, where the word 
Bethel, generally in our version "lite house of God," is perhaps a proper 
name.) To this place Samuel went in circuit, 1 Sam. vii, 16; and the name 
often occurs in subsequent history. 

Though Bethel belonged to Benjamin, it was occupied by Ephraimites, 

1 Chron. vii, 28. Here Jeroboam set up idolatrous calves, 1 Kings xii, 29- 
33; xiii. It seems to have been recovered by Abijah, 2 Chron. xiii, 19; but 
the possession of it by Judah was evidently only temporary. Perhaps, how- 
ever, it belonged to the southern kingdom, when a school of the prophets 
was at Bethel; but the people were depraved, as is clear from the insult 
offered to Elisha, 2 Kings ii, 2, 3, 23-25. Calf worship is still mentioned, 
xv, 29. Probably even more sinful rites were here practiced (Amos ILL, 14; 
iv, 4; v, 5, 6; vii. 10, 13) when the city seems to have become an Israel- 
itish royal residence. One of the priests was stationed at Bethel, who taught 
the ignorant Samaritans, 2 Kings xvii, 28. Here, also, Josiah, who evi- 
dently had authority over the district, fulfilled prophecy by polluting the 
idolatrous altars, 2 Kings xxiii. 15-18. (For a prophecy against the altar, 
and account of the withering of Jeroboam's hand, see 1 Kings xiii, 1-6, 32 ; 

2 Kings xxiii, 4, 15-20.) The old prophet was at Bethel, 1 Kings xiii, 11-32. 
Here the mockers were destroyed by bears, 2 Kings ii, 23, 24. The court 
of Jeroboam II. was also here, Amos vii, 10-13. Shalmaneser sent thither a 
priest, 2 Kings xvii, 27, 28. The men of Bethel returned from the Baby- 
lonish captivity, Ezra ii, 28; Neh. vii, 32; xi, 31. Bethel is not named in 
the Xew Testament, but it is mentioned by Josephus as being taken by 
Vespasian. The place is now a mass of ruins twelve miles north of Jeru- 
salem, called by the name of Beitln. Various stories are told of the stone 
whidi was Jacob's pillar. 

2. A towu in the south of Judah or Simeon, Josh, xii, 16; 1 Sam. xxx, 27 
Elsewhere called Chesil, Bethul, and Bethuel, Josh, xv, 30; xix, 4; 1 Chron. 
V, 29-30. 

Beth-E mek, house of the valley, a border town of Asher, Josh, xix, 27 
Unknown. 



62 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Be'ther, (Map 6,) dissection, separation. The name of "moLntains" men- 
tioned in. Sol. Song ii, 17 ; viii, 14. Some think it identical with the modern 
Beitm. (See Bethel.) But more probably the site of Bether is the present 
village of Bittir, two hours south-west of Jerusalem. 

Bethes'da, (Map 7,) house of mercy, or house of effusion. A pool at Jeru- 
salem, near the sheep-gate or market, with a cloister of five porches, John 
v, 2-16. Bethesda is generally supposed to be the pool now called Birket 
Israil, within the wall of the city, close by St. Stephen's Gate, to the north- 
east of the area of the great mosque. Dr. Robinson, however, is inclined to 
identify it with the Fountain of the Virgin, (Map 10,) some distance above 
the Tool of Siloam. The pool, as located in Map 7, measures 360 feet in 
length, 130 feet in breadth, and 75 in depth, besides the rubbish which has 
accumulated in it for ages. 

Beth-E zel, house of firm root, or fixed dwelling. A town mentioned in 
Micah i, 11, which seems to have been in Philistia. Robinson thinks it is 
the modern Beit-Affa, near Ashdod. See Betii-Leaphrah. 

Beth-Ga'der, house of the wall, a place in Judah, 1 Chron. xi, 51. It is 
probably the Geder of Josh, xii, 13, and perhaps also identical with Gedor 
in Josh, xix, 58. 

Beth-Ga'mul, house of the weaned, or of the camel, a town of Moab, Jer. 
xlviii, 23, in the district of the Mishor or down-country. "It is about forty- 
five miles south-east of the Sea of Galilee, and, although it has been deserted 
for centuries, the massive houses look as though the inhabitants had just 
left them." — Osborn. It is now called Um el-Jemal. 

Beth-Gil'gal, home of the Gilgal, a place mentioned in Neh. xii, 29, as 
" the house of Gilgal," which is probably the same as Gilgal near Bethel. See 

GlLGAL, (2.) 

Beth-Hac'cerem, (Map 6,) house of the vineyard. A beacon station (a 
.ofty point) near Tekoa, Jer. vi, 1. From Neh. iii, 14, it seems to have been 
a town having a " ruler." It is possibly identified as the " Frank Mountain," 
or Jebel Fureidis, "Little Paradise hill." 

Beth-Hag' gan, house of the garden. In 2 Kings ix, 27, our version has 
"the garden-house" — one of the spots which marked the flight of Ahaziah 
from Jehu. It is doubtless the same as En-Gannim of issachar, Josh, xix, 
2 1 , and the modern Jenin, on the direct road northward from Samaria. See 
En-Gannim, (2.) 

Beth-Ha'nan. See Elon-Beth-Hanan. 

Beth-Ha'ran, house of the height, a fortified town of Gad east of Jordan, 
Num. xxxii, 36. Doubtless it is the same as Bfth-Aram, which see. 

Beth-Hog'la, or Hog'lah, partridge house, a, town of Benjamin on the 
border of Judah, Josh, xv, 6; xviii, 19, 21. South-east of Jericho are ruins 
and a spring called Kasr-Hajla and ^Ain-Hajla, which probably mark the 
site. 

Beth-Ho'ron, (Map 5.) house of the hollow. The name of two places, the 
"upper" and the "nether," Josh, xvi, 3, 5; 1 Chron. vii, 24; 2 Chron. viii, 5. 
It was on the road from Gibeon to Azekah and the Philistine plain, Josh. 
x, 10, 11 ; 1 Sam. xiii, 18; 2 Chron. xxv, 13; Judith iv, 4; 1 Mace, iii, 24. 
It was on the boundary between Benjamin and Ephraim, Josh, xvi, 3, 5 ; 
xviii, 13, 14; counted to Ephraim, Josh, xxi, 22; 1 Chron. vii, 24; and al- 
lotted to the Kohathite Levites, 1 Chron. vi, 68. For other notices see also 
1 Sam xiii, 18; 1 Kings ix, 17; 2 Chron. viii, 5; xxv, 13; 1 Mace, iii, 13-34; 
vii, 19; ix, 50. The road from Gibeon, about four miles to the upper Beth 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 65 

Horon, is mainly an ascent, just answering to the account given in Josh, x 10 ; 
from thence the rugged descent commences, mostly along a kind of r. dge, 
for three miles to the nether village on a lower eminence, and this was " the 
going down to Beth-Horon," Josh. x. 11 ; whence there is a short, steep fall to 
the plain country. The sites of the two towns are undoubtedly occupied by 
the modern villages of Beit- Ur el-Foka (the Upper,) and Beit-Ur el-Tahta (the 
Lower.) 

Beth-Jesh'imoth and Beth-Jes'imoth, house of desolations or wastes, a 
town in Moab, probably in the Jordan Valley, at the north end of the Dead 
Sea, Num. xxxiii, 49 ; Josh, xii, 3 ; xiii, 20 ; Ezek. xxv, 9. Schwarz states 
that there are still " the ruins of a Beth-Jisimuth situated on the north-east 
point of the Dead Sea, half a mile from the Jordan." 

Beth-Leaph'rah, house of the favm, a place named in Micah i, 10, in con- 
nection with other places of the Philistine coast. It is probably identical 
"ith the modern village of Beit-Affa, six miles south-east of Ashdod. 

Beth-Leb'aoth, house of lionesses, a place originally aUotted to Judah, but 
afterward transferred to Simeon, Josh, xv, 32 ; xix, 6. It is called also Leb- 
aoth, and probably Beth-Birei. Possibly the ruin called El-Bey Mh marks 
the site. 

Bethlehem, (Map 5,) house of bread. The name of two places in Palestine. 

1. A town of Judah, nearly six miles south of Jerusalem. It was an 
inconsiderable place, hence its name does not occur in the enumeration of 
cities by Joshua, (chap. 15;) and the prophet Micah (v, 2) styles it "the 
least among the thousands of Judah." At an earlier date it was called 
Ephrath, or more frequently Ephratah, and as such first appears in Gen. 
xxxv, 19; xlviii, 7, when the death and burial of Rachel are mentioned. 
Hence Micah (v, 2) uses the title Bethlehem Ephratah. The name was after- 
ward applied, it seems, to the whole district ; for the inhabitants were called 
Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah, Ruth i, 2 ; 1 Sam. xvii, 12. The same title 
occurs also in Judges xvii, 7, 9; xix, 1, 2, 18, for the sake probably of dis- 
tinguishing it from another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 15. 
Bethlehem, although originally of so little consequence, is honored as the 
birthplace of the most illustrious personage of all history, and as the resi- 
dence of the three noted characters, Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, Ruth i, 1, 19; 
ii, 4; iv. King David was born here, 1 Sam. xvii, 12; xx, 6; and here he 
was also anointed king by Samuel, xvi, 1-13. Hence Bethlehem was called 
the " City of David," Luke ii, 4. Many interesting events in David's life are, 
of course, connected witli this place. On the neighboring hills he fed his 
flocks; from the wild gorges near came the savage beasts that he slew; 
from here he went to combat the giant, 1 Sam. xvi, xvii ; and when a man 
of war, one day, faint and weary, it was for the water of the well by the gate 
of Bethlehem that he longed; and three of his mighty men broke through 
the Philistine host and brought it to him, but he would not drink, 2 Sam. 
xxiii, 13-17; 1 Chron. xi, 15-19. Here, also, Asahel, Joab's brother, was 
buried in the sepulcher of his father, 2 Sam. ii, 32; from which we learn 
that Bethlehem was the native town of the three sons of Zeruiah, the 
daughter of Jesse, (1 Chron. ii, 16.) Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, as well as 
of Elhanan, another of David's mighty men of valor, 2 Sam. xxiii, 24. Ac- 
cording to 2 Chron. xi. 6. Bethlehem was fortified by Rehoboam ; and it was 
the last resting place of the rebellious remnant that after the destruction of 
Jerusalem, would go down into Egypt, Jer. xli, 17. The Old Testament 



66 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

history of Bethlehem closes with the notice that some of its " childror * 
returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii, 1 ; Neh. vii, 2G. But 
the chief glory of Bethlehem arises from the fact that here was born the 
Saviour of the world, Matt, ii, 1, 6; Luke ii, 4. Joseph and Maiy, as de- 
scendants of David, had to repair to Bethlehem, according to the decree oi 
the Roman emperor. There, in the adjoining lields, the angelic host an- 
nounced the glad tidings of a Saviour's birth; and there, before the great 
mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, the " wise men from the East," 
coming from afar, presented their offerings. Here, too, was the slaughter 
of the little ones by Herod, seeming to awaken again Rachel's lamentation, 
Matt, ii, 1-18 ; Luke ii, 1-20. 

There has been no doubt or dispute*about the site of Bethlehem, as it has 
always been an inhabited place, and, from its sacred associations, has been 
visited by an unbroken series of pilgrims and travelers. The crusaders on 
their approach to Jerusalem first took possession of Bethlehem, at the en- 
treaty of its Christian inhabitants. In A. D. 1110, King Baldwin I. erected 
it into an episcopal see, a dignity it had never before enjoyed ; but, although 
this was confirmed by Pope Pascal II., and the title long retained in the 
Romish Church, yet the actual possession of the see appears not to have 
been of long continuance. In A. D. 1244, Bethlehem, like Jerusalem, was 
desolated by the wild hordes of the Kharismians. Formerly there was a 
Mohammedan quarter, but after the rebellion in 1834 this was destroyed by 
order of Ibrahim Pasha. The modern name of the village is Beit-Lahm. It has 
a population of about three thousand. It is situated on a hill of limestone 
which runs east and west. The east end of the hill is bold; on the west it 
slopes gradually to the valley. On the sides of this hill, which is about a 
mile long, are terraced gardens, with olive-trees, fig-trees, and vines. In the 
most easterly part of the village is the celebrated Church of the Nativity, 
which owes its foundation to the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine 
the Great. It is inclosed within the walls of the convent, which is now 
parceled out among the Greek, Latin, and Armenian monks. Two spiral 
staircases lead down to the cave or grotto of the nativity, twenty feet below 
the floor of the church. This cave is lined with Italian marble ; and in a 
small semi-circular niche, the exact spot marked by a star inlaid in tne 
marble, corresponding to the point in the heavens where the star appeared 
to the magi, is a Latin inscription stating that Jesus was born here. A row 
of lamps are always burning. Opposite is a large irregular cavity, where it 
is said the manger stood; a block of white marble being hollowed out in it 
like a manger. Here, too, is the altar of the magi, anu other lamps are sus- 
pended. There are also shown the sepulcher of the Innocents, the grotto 
or crypt where St. Jerome lived and studied, and chapels dedicated to Joseph 
and other saints. As to the supposition that our Lord was born in a cave, 
tradition is in its favor, but facts and probabilities are against it. Certainly 
Christ was born in the town; and the place where the magi visited the 
Saviour was a " house, " Matt, ii, 11. The traditional scene of the angels' 
appearance to the shepherds is a plain about a mile away, where is a miser- 
able village called Beit-Sahur, while the traditional well of David is half a 
mile to the north of the town ; but, according to Dr. Robinson, there is now 
"no well of li 'ing water" near. 

2. A town : n Zebulun, Josh, xix, 15; probably the residence of Tbzan, 
Judges xii, 8 It is now known as Beit-Lahm, six miles west of Nazareth, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 67 

and is declared by Robinson to be ' a very miserable village . . . without a 
trace of antiquity except the name." 

Beth-Lo'mon, a corruption of Bethlehem, 1 Esdras v, 17. 

Beth-Ma'ach&h, house of oppression, (of Maachah,) a place named in 2 Sam. 
xx, 14, 15, and there occurring more as a definition of the position of Abel 
than for itself; more fully called Abel-Beth-Maachah, 2 Kings xv, 29. It is 
probably identical with Maachah. 

Beth-Mar' caboth, house of the chariots, a town of Simeon situated in the 
extreme south of Judah, with Ziklag and Hormah, Josh, xix, 5; 1 Chron. 
iv, 31. 

Beth-Me'on, house of habitation, a place in Reuben, Jer. xlviii, 23 ; else- 
where rendered Beth-Baal-Meon, Josh, xiii, 17. 

Beth-Mil lo, wall-house, the name of two places, Judg. ix, 20 ; 2 Kings 
xii, 20. See Millo. 

Beth-Nim'rah, (Maps 5, 20.) house of limpid water, a town on the east 
of Jordan, "in the valley," Josh, xiii, 27; fortified by Gad, Num. xxxii, 36; 
called Nimrah in Num. xxxii, 3. In Isa. xv* 6, and Jer. xlviii, 34, "the 
waters of Nimrim " are by some considered in the same locality. This 
place is said to have been situated about five miles north of Livias. The 
name still survives in the Nuhr-Nimrin, the lower end of the Wady Shoaib, 
where the waters of that valley discharge themselves into the Jordan a few 
miles above Jericho. Heaps of ruins mark the site of the ancient city. 
This wady runs into the eastern mountains as far as es-Salt. There is good 
reason to suppose that Beth-Nimrah is identical with Bethabara. 

Betho ron, a corruption of Beth-Horon, Judith iv, 4. 

Beth-Pa'let, house of escape, a town in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 27 ; 
called Beth-Phelet in Neh. xi, 26. Possibly the ruin on Tell el-Kuseifeh, near 
Moladah, may mark the site. 

Beth-Paz zez, house of dispersion, a town of Issachar, Josh, xix, 21. The 
site may possibly be at the ruins Beit-Jenn, west of the south end of the Sea 
of Galilee. 

Beth-Pe'or, house, or temple of Peor, a place east of Jordan, in the district 
allotted to Reuben, Deut. hi, 29; iv, 46; Josh, xiii, 20. It was in a ravine 
over against Beth- Peor that Moses was buried, Deut. xxxiv, 6. The place 
was doubtless dedicated to the god Baal-Peor. It was doubtless oue of the 
summits of Jebel Sldghah, where are found extensive ruins of a temple and 
its surrounding structures. 

Beth'phage, (Maps 6, 20,) house of unripe figs, a village on the Mount of 
Olives, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and evidently near to Bethany, 
Matt, xxi, 1 ; Mark xi, 1 ; Luke xix, 29. Jesus lodged there, Matt, xxi, 17. 
It was possibly west of Bethany, but authorities differ; some even thinking 
the two names to signify different quarters of the same village. 

Beth-Phe'let, Neh. xi, 26. See Beth-Palet. 

Beth-Re'hob, house of the street or streets, (house of Rehob.) a place neat 
which was the valley in which Laish or Dan was situated, Judg. xviii, 28 ; 
called also Rehob, Num. xiii, 21; 2 Sam. x, 8. It was one of the little 
kingdoms of Aram or Syria. The children of Ammon are said to have hired 
the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, 2 Sam. x, 6. Being, however, " far from Sidon," 
it must not be confounded with two towns named Rehob in Asher. This 
place is supposed to be represented by the modern Hanin, a fortress over 
looking the plain of the Uuteh, in which lay the city of Dan. 



68 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Beth-sa'ida, (Maps 5, 21,) house, or place of fishing. 1. A town in Galilee 
not far from Capernaum, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Matt, 
xi, 21 ; Luke x, 13. It was the city of Philip, Andrew, and Peter, John i, 
44; xii, 21. It was visited by Christ; the scene of Christ's cure of a blind 
man ; and one of the cities against which Christ prophesied, Mark vi, 45 • 
viii, 22; Luke x, 13. Mr. Porter identifies it with el-Tabighah; others ~ ith 
Khan el-Minyeh. But this is merely conjectural. 

2. According to Pliny and Josephus, another Bethsaida lay east of the 
lake and the Jordan in Lower Gaulonitis, just above the point where the 
Jordan flows into the lake. It was built up and enlarged by the Tetrarch 
Philip not long after the birth of Christ, and received the name of Julias, in 
honor of Julia, the daughter of the Emperor Augustus. Philip died here, 
and was buried in a magnificent sepulcher. 

The very best authorities disagree as to the existence of two places by the 
name of Bethsaida. After an examination of various writers, we propose 
an extract from Ayre's Biblg Treasury, as giving a fair argument for two 
towns. Ayre says : " "We may conclude that there were two places, for the 
following reasons. The scene of the miracle of multiplying the five loaves 
was in a desert place belonging to Bethsaida, Luke ix, 10. This place, 
according to Dr. Thomson, can be exactly identified. There is a bold head- 
land, Butaiha, running into the lake ; close by is a little cave, and at the 
foot of the rocky mountain a piece of level greensward. From this spot, 
near and belonging to Bethsaida-Julias, our Lord, we are told, sent off his 
disciples by ship to the other side to Bethsaida, Mark vi, 45. And, again, 
Dalmanutha was on the western side of the lake. But, after being at this 
place, Jesus crossed to the other side and came to Bethsaida, viii, 10, 13, 
22. These reasons seem conclusive for the fact of there being two Beth- 
saidas. Dr. Thomson, however, imagines there was but one, Bethsaida- 
Julias; that it was built on both sides of the Jordan, and therefore partly 
in Galilee ; that the desert place being at some little distance, our Lord might 
well send his disciples thither by boat; that the storm which arose prevented 
them from making Bethsaida, or even Capernaum ; and that, therefore, 
though they had set out for Bethsaida, they were carried to the land of 
Gennesaret." (The Land and the Book, pp. 372-374. Comp. Ellicott's note, 
Hist. Led, p. 207.) 

Grove and others locate this Bethsaida " possibly at et-Tell, east of Jordan, 
three miles north of the lake." Others claim a site "corresponding to that 
of the modern ruined village el-Araj, containing some vestiges of antiquity, 
immediately east of the debouchure- of the Upper Jordan." See Bobinson'a 
Etsearches ; Herzog; M'Clintock and Strong. 

Beth'samos, 1 Esdras v, 18. Doubtless the Beth-Azmaveth of Neh. vii, 
28 ; the Azmaveth of Ezra ii, 24. 

Beth'san, 1 Mace, v, 52; xii, 40, 41. The Greek form of Beth-Shean. 

Beth'-Shan, house of quiet, 1 Sam. xxxi, 10, 12 ; 2 Sam. xxi, 12. A vari- 
ation of Beth-Shean. 

Beth'-She'an, (Maps 5, 20,) house of quiet, or security, a city belonging to 
Manasseh, 1 Chron. vii, 29, though within the original limits of Issachar, 
Josh, xvii, 11, and on the west of Jordan, (comp. 1 Mace, v, 52;) called 
also Bethsan, Beth-Shan, and Scythopolis. The tribes were not aWe to expel 
the Canaanites, Josh, xvii, 11, 16; Judg. i, 27 ; 1 Chron. vii, 28. After the 
battle on Gilboa, the Philistines fastened the dead body of Saul to che wall 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 69 

of this city, 1 Sam. xxxi, 10, 12; 2 Sam. xxi, 12. In the time of Solomon 
Beth-Shean seems to have included the neighboring district unto Abel-Me- 
holah ; and " all Beth-Shean " was under one of his commissariat officers, 1 
Kings iv, 12. Afterward it was called Scythopolis, 2 Mace, xii, 29; a 
colony being left here from the great Scythian irruption. (See Scythian.) 
Tt is now called Beisdn, being situated in a very strong natural position just 
where the plain of Esdraelon begins to descend to the Jordan valley. It 
is about three miles west of Jordan, and sixteen from the soutnern end of 
the Sea of Galilee. The mountains of Gilboa are a few miles westward, 
while close on the north runs tlie water of the Am-Jalad, whose fountain 
is in Jezreel, and three other large brooks pass through or by the town. 
It is a miserable place of about sixty or seventy houses, whose inhabitants 
are said to be a set of inhospitable and lawless fanatics. Extensive ruins 
of the old city yet remain. 

Beth-She'mesh, (Map 5,) house of the Sun. 1. A city on the north boundary 
of Judah, Josh, xv, 10, toward the land of the Philistines, 1 Sam. vi, 9, 
12 ; and probably in a lowland plain, 2 Kings xiv, 11. It was afterward 
allotted to the priests, Josh, xxi, 16; 1 Sam. vi, 15; 1 Chron. vi, 59; and 
was a " suburb city." It is named in one of Solomon's commissariat dis- 
tricts under the charge of Ben-Dekar, 1 Kings iv, 9. Amaziah, king of 
Judah, was here defeated and made prisoner by Jehoash, king of Israel, 
2 Kings xiv, 11, 13 ; 2 Chron. xxv, 21, 23. In the reign of Ahaz it was 
captured by the Philistines, 2 Chron. xxviii, 18. It is particularly noted as 
the scene of the return of the ark from Philistia. Beth-Shemesh was not 
far from Ekron, and along the road between the two places the Philistines 
hastened to send back the ark by " milch-kine," 1 Sam. vi, 9, 12. The ark 
was received with unbounded joy by the Israelites. But by reason of an 
irreverent curiosity on the part of the people, " fifty thousand and three- 
score and ten men" were miraculously slain, 1 Sam. vi, 19. Some suppose 
that a copyist's error has given us this large number of 50,070, instead 
of 5,070, or 570. Whichever number may be the accurate one, the event 
was a terrible judgment from the Almighty. 

The place is doubtless identical with Ir-Shemesh, Josh, xv, 10; xix, 41, 
43 ; 1 Kings iv, 9 ; and perhaps with Mount Heres, " Mount of the Sun," 
Judg. i, 35. It is identified with the modern Ain-Shems, fourteen miles 
west of Jerusalem, a ruined Arab village constructed of ancient materials. 
Near by are extensive remains. 

2. A town of Issachar, Josh, xix, 22. Not known. 

3. A town of Naphtali, from which the Canaanites were not expelled, 
Josh, xix, 38 ; Judg. i, 33. Not identified. 

4. In Jer. xliii, 13, this name refers to Heliopolis, or On, an idolatrous 
temple or place in Egypt. The Arabs now call it Ain-Shems. See On. 

Bath-Shit'tah, house of the acacia, a place to which the Midianites fled 
from Gideon, Judg. vii, 22. It was probably near the Jordan. Possibly it 
may be identical with Shutta, discovered by Robinson, east of JezreeL 
although this is further from Jordan than we should expect. 

Bethsu'ra, the form used by the Maccabees for Beth-zur, 1 Mace, iv, 29, 61 ; 
vi, 7. 26, 31, 49, 50; ix, 52; x, 14; xi, 65; xiv, 7, 33 ; 2 Mace, xi, 5 ; xiii, 19, 22. 

Beth-Tap puah, house of apples, a town in the mountains of Judah, near 
Hebron, Josh, xv, 53. (Comp. 1 Chron. ii, 43.) It is identified with the 
modern Ttjfa,h, about four or five miles west of Hebron, on a ridge of high 



70 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

table land. Olive groves and vineyards still flourish tliere, aDd terraces of 
the ancient cultivation still remain in use. 

Bethu'el, perhaps man of God, a town of Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 30 ; a 
variation of Bethul, Josh, xix, 4. 

Beth'ul, a contraction of Bethuel, Josh, xix, 4. It is called also Cht sil, 
and perhaps Bethel, Josh, xv, 30; 1 Chron. iv, 9; Josh, xii, 16. It w.is a 
town of Simeon in the south named with Eltolad and Hormah in JuLh. 
xix, 4. See Chesil. 

Bethu'lia, the site of the events L~ tne book of Judith, where its posi- 
tion is described, Judith iv, 6; vi, 10, 11, 14; vii, 1, 3, 6. 13, 20, etc. In the 
Middle Ages tho name of Bethulia was given to " the Frank Mountain." Fre- 
quent attempts fail to identify the site with certainty. One conjecture 
locates the place at Sanur, about three miles from Dothan, and six or seven 
from Jenin, (Engannim,) which stand on the very edge of the great plain of 
Esdraelon. Schultz rinds Bethulia in the village of Beit- Ufa, a village on the 
northern declivity of Mount Gilboa, containing rock-graves, and other marks 
of antiquity. 

Beth'-Zur, house of the rock, a place in the highlands of Judah, Josh, xv, 
58 ; 1 Chron. ii, 45 ; elsewhere called Bethsura. It was fortified by Reho- 
boam, 2 Chron. xi, 7. After the captivity mention is made of its ruler as 
helping to repair the wall of Jerusalem, Neh. iii, 16; 1 Chron. ii, 45. 
During the Maecabean wars it was an important place, and of great 
strength, 1 Mace, iv, 29; vi, 32-47; xi, 65; 2 Mace, xi, 5. It is now 
known as Btit-Sur, on the main road four miles north of Hebron, where 
ruins of the ancient town still exist. 

Beto'lius, 1 Esdras v, 21. A corruption of Bethel, Ezra ii, 28 ; Neh. vii, 32. 

Betomas'them, or Betomes'tham, a place mentioned as near Esdraelon 
and Dothaim, Judith iv, 6 ; xv, 4. It is not identified. 

Bet'onim, pistachio-nuts, a town in Gad, mentioned in connection with 
Ramath-Mizpeh and Mahanaim, Josh, xiii, 26. Some would identify it with 
Batneh, whose ruins are found on Mt. Gilead, about five miles west of es-Sali. 

Beu'lah, married, a symbolical name applied to the land of Israel, which, 
when desolate no more, shall again be the delight of the Lord, Isa. lxii, 4. 
It may refer to the return from Babylon, or to the Jewish Church in her 
happy union with God. 

Be'zek, lightning. 1; A city in Judah, the residence of Adoni-Bezek, 
Judg. i, 3-5. It was probably among the mountains not far from Jerusa- 
lem. Not identified. 

2. A place within a day's march of Jabesh, where King Saul reviewed 
his troops previous to the relief of Jabesh-Gilead, 1 Sam. xi, 8, 9. Sehwarz 
thinks it to be Bezik, or Absik, near Beth-Shean; but this needs confirmation. 

Be'zer, in the Wilderness, ore of precious metal, a town of Reuben iD 
the Mishor, allotted to the Merarites, and one of the cities of refuge east ol 
the Jordan, Deut. iv, 43 ; Josh, xx, 8 ; xxi, 36; 1 Chron. vi, 78. It is barely 
possible th it Bezer corresponds with a village called Burazin, twelve miles 
north of east from Heshbon. 

Be'zeth a place near Jerusalem, where Bacchides encamped, 1 Mace, vii, 
19. Possibly it may refl-r to Bezetha. Possibly identical with Beit Z'ata. 

Bez'etha, (Map 7,) one of the heights on which Jerusalem is built. It 
was north of Antonia, and separated from it by a deep fosse; hut, accord- 
ing to Josephus, not inclosed till the erection of the third wall by Agrippa. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 71 

It is undecided whether Be/.etha is the eminence north of the present Da- 
mascus gate, or that immediately north of the present Haram inclosuro. 
The probability seems in favor of the latter locality, as in our map. 

Bil earn, foreign, a place in western Manasseli allotted to the Levites, 
_ Chron. vi, 70. It is doubtless identical with Ibleam, Josh, xvii, 17, and 
Gath-Rimmon, Josh, xxi, 25. Mr. Porter locales Bileam in the plain of Es- 
draelou. near Mcgiddo. 

Bil hah, faltering, or bashfulness, a town in Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 29, iden- 
tical with Balah, Josh, xix, 3, and doubtless also with Baalah, xv, 29. 

Bith ron, the section, or the divided place, a delile in the Arabah, or Jor- 
dan valley, 2 Sam. ii, 29. It was between the river and Mahanaira, to 
which town Abuer and his troops returned after crossing the Jordan to the 
east. 

Bithyn'ia, (Map 8.) a district of Asia Minor on the Kuxine and the Sea 
of Marmora, having Mysia on the west, Phrygia and Galatia on the south 
and east, and Papldagoaia on the east. Bithynia is mentioned only incident- 
ally in the Scriptures, Acts xvi, 7; 1 Pet. i, 1. Its principal cities were 
Nicomedia, Chalcedon, Heraclea, Nicea, and Prusa, none of which are 
referred to in the Bible. It was formerly an independent kingdom. Its last 
sovereign, Nicomedes 111., beiug re-established in his kingdom (of which 
Mithridates, king of Pontus, had dispossessed him) by Pompey, bequeathed 
Bithynia to the Romans about 74 B. C. On the death of Mithridates the 
western part of his kingdom was added to Bithynia, and subsequently the 
province was again increased by Augustus. Its hills were well wooded, 
and its valleys productive. Bithynia now forms one of the districts of Turk- 
ish Anatolia, and is the nearest province to T-.rkey in Europe. 

Bizjothjah, conkmjit of Jehovah, a town in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 
28. It is doubtless identical with Baalah, and with Balah, xix, 2, 3; also 
with Baalath-beer, xix, 8, and Bilhah, 1 Chron. iv, 29. The signification 
of the name agrees with the fact that the city was once given up to the 
worship of Baal. * 

Bo chim, the weepers, a place where the Israelites wept when rebuked by 
the angel, Judg. ii, 1, 5. It was near to Gilgal, west of the Jordan near the 
Dead Sea, and possibly at the present ruins of Khurbet Jeradeh. 

Bo'han, a thumb, a memorial stone in the valley of Achor, on the borders 
of J udali aod Benjamin, set up in honor of Bohau, Josh, xv, 6 ; xviii, 1 7. Pos- 
sibly identical with ffajar-el-asbah (stone of the finger) in Wady Daber. 

Bos'cath, in 2 Kings xxii, 1, inaccurately put for Bozkath, which see. 

Bo'sor, a fortified city east of Jordan, in Gilead, 1 Mace, v, 26, 36. Prob- 
ably the Bezer of the wilderness mentioned in Dent, iv, 43 

Bos ora, a city in Gilead taken by Judas Maccabeus, 1 Mace, v, 26, 28. 
Doubtless Bozrah. 

Bo'zez, shining, or height, one of the two "teeth of rock" below Mich- 
mash, near Gibeah, 1 Sam. xiv, 4, 5. Dr. Robinson noticed two hills Oi 
blunt conical form in the bottom of Wady Suweinlt, just below Mukmas. 
but Stanley was not able to make them out. 

Bozkath, strong region, or hill, a town in Judah near Lachish and Eglcn, 
Josh, xv, 39. It is called Boscath in 2 Kings xxii, 1, where it is named as 
the native place of Adaiah, maternal grandfather of King Josiah. 

Boz rah, (Map 5,) inclosure or fortress, or sheep-fold (?). 

1. A city of Edom, the residence of Jobab, one of the early kings, Gen. 

4 



72 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

xxxvi, 33; 1 Chron. i, 44. Isaiah mentions it in later times in connection 
with Edom, Isa. xxxiv, 6; lxiii, 1. Other notices occur, Jer. xlix, 13, 22; 
Amos i, 12; Mic. ii, 12. It is identified as the modern el-Busairth, a village 
of about fifty houses standing on a height south-east of the Dead Sea, about 
half- way between the sea and Petra. 

2. A place in Moab, mentioned in Jer. xlviii, 24. It is probably the 
Bosoraof 1 Mace, v, 26-28; for Jeremiah's list included cities both "far and 
near." Porter identifies it with Busrah, which lies in the open plain about 
sixty miles south of Damascus. This site contains extensive ruins. No vine- 
yards remain. The inhabitants number about fifteen families. 

Buz, (Map 12,) contempt, probably named from the second son of Nahor. 
Jeremiah mentions the tribe of Buz, and apparently locates their territory 
in the northern part of Arabia Deserta, Jer. xxv, 23. 

Oab'bon, cake, or perhaps bond, a town in the lowland of Judah. Josh. 
xv, 40. Possibly it is the modern ruined site el-Rufeir, ten miles south-east 
of Ashkelon. 

Oa'bul, (Maps 4, 13,) bound, boundary, or possibly as nothing. 

1. A place iD the boundary of Asher, Josh, xix, 27. It is probably the 
modern Kabul, eight or nine miles east of Accho. 

2. A district of "twenty cities" given by Solomon to Hiram, King of 
Tyre, in acknowledgment of the service Hiram had rendered toward the 
building of the temple, 1 Kings ix, 10-13. Hiram not being pleased with 
the gift, the district received the name of Cabul — which may mean as nothing, 
or vnpleasing. Josephus locates this district in the north-west part of Galilee, 
adjacent to Tyre. After these " cities " were restored by Hiram they were 
colonized by Israelites, 2 Chron. viii, 2. 

Ca'des, 1 Mace, xi, 63, 73. A Grecized form of Kedesh in Xaphtali, Josh. 
xx, 7. 

Ca'des-Bar'ne. Judith v, 14. A Grecized form of Kadesh-Barnea. 

Caesare'a, (Map 5,) a noted city of Palestine on the coast of the Mediter- 
ranean, on the great road from Tyre to Egypt, about half-way between Joppa 
and Dora. This city is very frequently alluded to in the Acts of the Apostles. 
It was the residence of Philip, Acts viii, 40; xxi, 8, 16; and of Cornelius, x, 
1, 24; xi, 11. It was the scene of Herod Agrippa's death, xii, 19. It was 
visited by St. Paul, ix, 30; xviii, 22; xxi, 8, 16; xxiii, 23, 33; xxv, 1, 4, 6, 
13; and by Peter, x, 24. The distance of Cassarea from Jerusalem is given 
by Josephus as six hundred stadia. The Jerusalem Itinerary gives sixty- 
eight miles. In a direct line the actual distance is forty-seven English miles. 
The place was originally called "Strato's Tower." Afterward the city was 
built by Herod the Great in ten years with the most lavish outlay, calling 
it Caesarea Sebaste. It also bore the names of Cassarea Stratonis, Maritime 
Ciesarea, and Caesarea Palestinse, to distinguish it from Cassarea Philippi, 
Josephus tells us it was a most magnificent city. He describes a breakwater 
built of vast blocks of stone sunk to the depth of twenty fathoms in the sea. 
Broad landing-wharves surrounded the harbor, and conspicuous from the 
sea was a temple dedicated to Caesar and Rome, and containing colossal 
statues of the emperor and the imperial city. Herod made this city his 
residsnee, and thus elevated it to the rank of the civil and military capital 
of Ji dea. It was here that Vespasian was first declared emperor. After 
the destruction of Jerusalem, Cassarea became the spiritual metropolis of 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 73 

Palestine; but since the beginning of the fifth century it became the capita, 
of Palestina Prima — one of the three provinces into which the whole land 
was divided, and subordinate to the Bishopric of Jerusalem. Among the 
Bishops of Caesarea, Eusebius is the most celebrated. During the Crusades 
the city was taken by King Baldwin in 1101, and re-taken by Saladin in 1187 
and laid waste. It was subsequently rebuilt, and again devastated, and 
finally destroyed by Sultan Baibar, who left not one stone upon another. 
Since that time its extensive ruins have borne the present name of Kaisariyeh y 
and their only inhabitants are wild beasts and reptiles. 

Csesare a Philip'pi, (Map 5,) a town at the source of the Jordan. It was 
earlier known by the name of Panium, from the worship of the heatien god 
Pan. Herod the Great beautified it, and built a temple to Augustus. Later 
it was enlarged and beautified by Philip the Tetrarch, who gave to it the name 
of Csesarea in honor of his emperor, (Tiberius Caesar,) adding Philippi to 
distinguish it from Caesarea on the Mediterranean. Later still Agrippa II. 
called it Neronias. The oldest name, however, survived, as coins on which 
Caesarea Paneas appears sufficiently prove, and it is even now called Banias. 
The site is at the springs of the Jordan, at the southern base of the mighty 
Hermon, whose towering peaks rise from seven thousand to eight thousand 
feet above. The distance from Jerusalem is about one hundred and twenty 
miles, and this appears to be the northern limit of Christ's travels, Matt, 
xvi, 13; Mark viii, 27. Many think that it was upon one of the near-by 
spurs of Hermon that our Lord's transfiguration occurred. (See Tabor.) The 
present village is a mean and destitute place. Many remains of ancient 
architecture still exist in the vicinity. 

Cain, the lance, or perhaps nest, a city in the lowland of Judali, Josh, xv, 57 
Possibly the site is marked by Yukin, a short distance south-east of Hebron. 

Ca'lah, vigorous old age, one cf the most ancient of Assyrian cities, Gen. 
x, 11. It was founded by Asshur or Nimrod. By some the site is believed 
to have been among the ruins of the modern NimrM, which havp furnished 
so large a portion of the Assyrian antiquities, and that it was for a long 
time the royal Assyrian residence, till Sargon built a new city where 
Khorsabad now stands. But Layard is disposed to find Calah at Kalah 
Sherghat, a vast ruin (four thousand six hundred and eighty-five yards 
around) on the Tigris, about fifty miles below its junction with the Zab, but 
he does not speak with certainty. A mutilated sitting figure which he 
found there is now in the British Museum. 

Caleb, a dog, the district allotted to Caleb, probably at or about Carmel 
of Judah, 1 Sam. xxx, 14. 

Cal'neh, (Map 1,) fortified dwelling, or probably the fort of the god Ana 
or Anu. An ancient city of Assyria, of Nimrod's empire, Gen. x, 10; Amoa 
vi, 2. It was probably on the left bank of the Euphrates, south-east of 
Babylon. Apparently it is the same with Calno, Isa. x, 9; and Canneh, 
Ezek. xxvii, 215. It is considered identical with modern Niffer, about sixty 
miles south-south-east of Babylon, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, 
where extensive ruins remain. 

Calvary. This word occurs but once, in Luke xxiii, 33, to designate 
the place where Christ was crucified. The term Calvary is adopted literally 
from the Latin Vulgate, instead of translating the Greek word by " skull," 
as in the three other Gospels. "Mount" does not occur in the original. 
The name has been connected with the fact that executions were performed 



74 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

there, and that skulls were probably left lying around. It is mo/e probable 
that it was a bare round spot, somewhat skull-shaped. The dispute is very 
earnest as to whether the spot now venerated as such in the Church of the 
Holy Sepulcher is really the ancient Calvary. The references in the Scrip- 
ture are but few. The places of crucifixion and burial were contiguous. 
Golgotha was outside the city gate, Matt, xxvii, 32; Heb. xiii, 12; yet it 
was near the city, John xix, 20 ; it was also close to a public road, for tLo 
crowd met Simeon the Cyrenian passing on as he came out of the country, 
Mark xv, 21 ; Luke xxiii, 26; and there was a garden just by, John xix, 41. 
Dr. Barclay mentions a "kind of cape, or promontory of land, projecting 
south-eastwardly into the Kidron valley, a short distance above Geth- 
semaue." Concerning this he says: "May not this spur of an unnamed 
ridge be the site of that awful scene, the crucifixion of the Son of God? 
There is, at this time, no skull-shaped monticule of tock to be found in all 
the region where, according to Jeremiah, Goath or Gotha was located ; but 
this, of course, is no proof that such a prominence did not once exist." Mr. 
Fisher Howe, with much force of argument, places the true site of Calvary 
in the north of Jerusalem, not far from the Damascus gate, above the " Grotto 
of Jeremiah." There are also strong reasons for locating Calvary on Moriah. 
See Moriah; Jerusalem, pp. 229, 230. 

Ca'mon, full of stalks or grain, the burial place of Jair, the Gileadite, 
Judg. x, 5. It lay probably east of Jordan; possibly at Reinum, near Gerasa. 

Ca'na of Galilee, (Map 3.) Cana signifies reedy, a nest or cave. A vil- 
lage of Galilee about nine miles north of Nazareth. It was the scene of 
two of Christ's miracles, John ii, 1, 11; iv, 46; xxi, 2; and the native place 
of Nathanaei. Christ began his miracles at Cana by turning water into 
wine at a wedding. Tradition locates the site at the modern vihage of Kefr 
Kenna, four and a half miles north-east of Nazareth; but Dr. llobinson 
locates it at the now deserted village of Kana el-Jelt'J, about nine miles north of 
Nazareth. De Saulcy, Farrar, and others, with good reason, favor Kefr Kenna. 

Canaan, (Map 3,) low, or lowland. The country west of the Jordan, called 
also Chanaan, and the Land of Canaan, after one of the sons of Ham The 
Greeks applied the term Cana to the entire region between the Jordan and 
the Mediterranean up to Sidon, afterward termed by them Phoenicia, a name 
which by degrees came to be confined to the northern coast district, or 
Phoenicia proper. Canaan is generally considered equivalent to the Land 
of Israel or Palestine. 

The Scripture boundary of Canaan represents the sea as its western 
border from Sidon to Gaza, Gen. x, 19. The southern boundary was a line 
from Gaza to the southern end of the Dead Sea, including the Judean hills, 
but excluding the country of the Amalekites, Gen. x, 19; Num. xiii, 29 
No part of Canaan lay beyond the Jordan on the east, Num. xxxiii, 51 ; 
Exod. xvi, 35; with Josh, v, 12; xxii, 11. On the north, Canaan extended 
as far as Hamath, which was also the utmost boundary of the "land of 
promise," Gen. xvii, 8 ; Num xxxiv, 8. The coast from Sidon northwari 
to Arvad, and the ridge of Lebanon, were inhabited by Canaanitos, though 
they do not appear to have been included in Canaan proper, Gen. x, 15-19. 
In a few instances, such as Zeph. ii, 5, and Matt, xv, 22, the word Canaan was 
applied to the low maritime plains of Philistia and Phoenicia. The meaning 
above given to the word Canaan is disputed by etymologists. In regard to 
this definition it may be remarked that the land of Canaan contained many 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



77 



elevated spots, sucli as 
Shechem. Hebron, Bethel, 
Bethlehem, Shiloh. But 
the terra low is employed 
as specially opposed to 
the "land 'of Gilead"— 
the high table-land east 
of the Jordan. Although 
Canaan had these heights, 
yet, as travelers assure 
us, the land never gives 
the idea of elevation. For 
the eye looks continually 
over the wide maritime 
plain on the one side, and 
down into the Jordan val- 
ley on the other ; and, be- 
sides, there is almost al- 
ways in view the high 
mountain line beyond the 
Jordan, in comparison 
with which the hills of 
Canaan are dwarfed. See 
Palestine. 

Ca'naanite, The, the 
zealot, the designation of 
the Apostle Simon tho 
Less. Matt, x, 4; Mark 
iii, 18. This name has no 
connection with that of the 
descendants of Canaan. 

Ca'naanite and Ca'- 
naanites, lowlanders, the 
designation of the de- 
scendants of Canaan, the 
son of Ham and grandson 
of Xoah, inhabitants of 
the land of Canaan and 
the districts adjoining, 
Gen. x, 1 5-1 8. More pre- 
cisely, they were a leading 
people among the early 
(though not the original) 
inhabitants of Palestine. 
They were the lowland- 
ers, and are described as 
dwelling "by the sea and by the coast of Jordan," Num. xiii, 29. Later 
the Canaanites arc said to be " on the East and on the West," that is, along 
the sea-coast and in the Jordan valley, while the Amorites and others 
were "in the mountains," Josh, xi, 3, occupying the central highlands. 
There were seveu nations descended from Canaan, the Canaanites, Hittites, 




I innatht^i^LandAb 



. Mamf^nakim 
Eirjatli-arhaor or 
c"~5Hei)i-on ,l 



\ \Jcqar sahadutha 

wk Mix P a,> - ~ 

yZ-i 'Jrfahanaim. ] 

<K \ 

^BethelZ a m zuMM- 
?,-*"" . o/i ave/i 
Wx£S*Kiriathuim ^ 






Is En-mishpat 
^^%,ghdesh £ 

•J f^S 

K^iYtldcrness^ofParan. -*" Mr 




7S BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Glrgashites, Gen. x, 1 5— 19i 
Exod. iii, 8; Dent, vii, 1; 1 Chron. i, 13-16. Notices of their territory, Gen. 
x, 19; xii, 6; Num. xiii, 29; Judg. iv, 2. Jacob was forbidden to marry 
among them, Gen. xxviii, 1 ; but Judah's wife was from them, Gen. xxxviii, 
2; 1 Chron. ii, 3. Their wickedness and idolatry, Lev. xviii, 28; Deut. xii, 
31; Ezra ix, 1; Psa. cvi, 38. Their land given to the Israelites, Gen. xii, 
6, 7; xv, 18; xvii, 8; Exod. xxiii, 23; Deut. vii, 1, 3; xxxii, 49; Psa. 
cxxxv, 11. After the Israelites had possessed themselves of a large pfjrt 
of the country, the Canaanites yet lingered in their ancient seats " in ihe 
land of the valley," Josh, xvii, 16, and in the plains of the north, 
Judg. iv, 2. Still, though the Canaanites had their special location, yet, as 
being a leading tribe among the inhabitants of the land, their name was 
gometimes used as including other tribes. Thus Hebron, called Amorite or 
Hitti f ,e when Abraham dwelt there, (Gen. xiii, 18; xiv, 13; xxiii, 2, 3, 5, 7,) 
is afterward said to be Canaanite, (Judg. i, 10.) This, however, may be 
partly owing to the change of settlements by conquest or emigration. The 
Canaanites were a warlike people, and the Israelites found it difficult to ex- 
pel them, Judg. i, 27-33. Special mention is made of their iron chariots, 
iv, 2, 3. They had strong and well-built cities, Num. xiii, 28; Deut. vi, 10. 
Probably also they were a commercial people, for their name came to be 
synonymous with merchant, Job xii, 6; Prov. xxxi, 24; the original word 
in both these cases being " Canaanite." The language they spoke, though 
they were Hamites, was Hebrew, for the patriarchs and their descendants 
required no interpreter in Canaan as they did in Egypt, Gen. lxii, 23. Pos- 
sibly the Canaanites adopted the dialect of earlier settlers in the land. 

The various cities and nations of Canaan were not all subdued at the same 
time. Jebus, afterward Jerusalem, was not taken until the time of David, 
2 Sam. v, 6 ; and Sidon seems never to have yielded to the tribe of Asher, 
to whom it was nominally allotted, Judg. i, 31. Scattered portions of the 
several nations, escaping, often harassed Israel. The people of Gibeon 
(Hivites) made peace by stratagem, and thus escaped destruction. The 
Girgashites seem to have been either wholly destroyed, or absorbed in other 
tribes. The Anakim were completely destroyed by Joshua, except in three 
cities, Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, Josh, xi, 21-23 ; and the powerful. Amalek- 
ites, continually harassing Israel, and frequently defeated, were at last 
wholly destroyed by the tribe of Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 43. Individuals among 
the Canaanites became noted among the Jews ; thus Uriah the Hittite was 
one of King David's captains, 1 Chron. xi, 41. In the height of the Israel- 
itish glory under King Solomon all the remnants of the Canaanitish nations 
were made tributary, and bond-service was exacted from them, 1 Kings ix, 20. 

Can'neh, a plant or shoot ($), Ezek. xxvii, 23. Doubtless Cain eh or Calno. 

Caper'naum, (Map 5,) city of comfort or consolation (?), or perhaps 
village of Nahum. A town in the district of Gennesaret, on the west 
side of the Sea of Galilee, John vi, 17; Luke iv, 31; Matt, iv, 13. 
Capernaum was one of the most interesting localities in the Scriptures. 
In Christ's day it was a nourishing town, Matt, xi, 23. Lying on the 
great thoroughfare between Damascus and the Mediterranean, it has been 
suggested that we have here the explanation of "the receipt of custom," 
Matt, ix, 9. Jesus very frequently visited this city, Matt, iv, 13 ; ix, 1 ; 
it was called "his own city," and it was here that he and his mother's 
family dwelt after leaving Nazareth, Luk* *v ifi-Rl The house that he 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



79 




RUIXS AT TELL HUM. 

occupied (Mark ii, 2) was doubtless the one owned by Peter and Andrew, 
Mark i, 29; Matt, xvii, 24. At Capernaum Christ chose Matthew or Levi, 
Matt, ix, 9. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew belonged here, and here 
probably they heard the call which caused them to leave their nets and fol- 
low Jesus, Mark i. 1G, 17 ; compare 29. Christ taught a great deal and per- 
formed many mighty works at Capernaum. Here was wrought the miracle 
on the centurion's servant, Matt, viii, 5 ; Luke vii, 1 ; on Simon's wife's 
mother, Matt, viii, 14 ; Mark i, 30 ; Luke iv, 38 ; on the paralytic, Matt, ix, 
1 ; Mark ii, 1 ; Luke v, 18 ; and on the man afflicted with an unclean spirit, 
Mark i, 33 ; Luke iv, 33. The son of the nobleman at Capernaum was 
healed by Jesus' words — spoken probably at Cana, John iv, 41 -50. A very 
beautiful incident occurred here at Cbrist's home, "in the house," Mark ix, 
33; Matt, xviii, 1; compare xvii, 24. In the synagogue of the town Jesus 
delivered a remarkable discourse, John vi, 59. The people of Capernaum 
did not appreciate the presence of Jesus, nor his glorious doctrines, nor his 
•'mighty works," hence Christ uttered a most fearful prophecy against the 
city, Matt. xi. 23 ; Luke x, 15. This prophecy has been so fullilled that this 
once prosperous city is " brought down " to utter ruin, and the very spot 
wherein it stood is still matter of dispute. 



80 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Capernaum must have stood either at Khan Minyeh or at TeU R&m. Each 
of these places presents strong claims as the site. The former place, marked 
only by a mound of ruins, is situated at the north-eastern extremity of the 
fertile plain (now called El Ghuweir) on the western border of the Lake of 
Gennesaret, to which the name of " the Land of Gennesareth " is given by 
Josephus. Dr. Robinson favors Khan Minyeh, (see his Researches, new 
edition, ii, 403; hi, 344-358;) so does Mr. Porter; so also Kiepert's map, 
]866. Other travelers (among whom is Dr. Thomson) claim Tell Hum, three 
miles north of Khan Minyeh. Extensive ruins are here, consisting of walls 
and foundations covering a space half a mile long by a quarter wide, on a 
point of the shore projecting into the lake, and backed by very gently rising 
ground. The shapeless remains are piled up in confusion all along the 
shore, and are much more striking than those of any other city on this part 
of the lake. With two exceptions the houses were all built of basalt, quite 
black and very compact but rudely cut. Dr. Bartlett (From Egypt to Pal- 
estine^ 1879) thinks the evidence favors this site. For interesting details 
see Clark's Bible Atlas, M'Clintoek and Strong's Cyclopedia, Thomson's 
Land and the Book, Porter's Hand-hook for Syria and Palestine, edition 1868. 
Our Work in Palestine, pp. 186, 207. 

Capharsai ama, apparently from the Hebrew, signifying "village of peace.'' 
The scer^e of a battle between Judas and Nicanor, 1 Mace, vii, 31. 

Caphen'atha, a place apparently close to Jerusalem on the east, 1 Mace 
xii, 37. Not known. 

Caphi'ra, 1 Esdr. v, 19. Elsewhere Chephirah, Ezra ii, 25. 

Caph'thorim. See Caphtorim. 

Oaph'tor, chaplet, knop. (The word is probably of Egyptian origin.) 
The original seat of the Philistines, whence they spread into tho country 
around Gaza and the coasts of Palestine, Deut. ii, 23; Jer. lxvii, 4; Amos 
ix, 7. Jeremiah calls it an "isle," (marginal reading,) or coast country. Id 
Gen. x, 14 (and consequently in 1 Chron. i, 12) the parenthesis should prob- 
ably follow Caphtorim. Various opinions have been urged as to the 
locality of Caphtor. Some authorities claim that it was Cappadocia ; some 
the island of Cyprus ; others the isle of Crete ; and still others claim the 
coasts of the Egyptian Delta. The weight of evidence is in favor of Upper 
Egypt. See Herzog, Ayre, and art. " Philistines " in Kitto. 

Caphtorim, the inhabitants of Caphtor. The Philistines, Deut. ii, 23, or 
connected with them; the descendants of Mizraim. Gen. x, 14; 1 Chron. i, 
12. They are called also Caphthorim, and Caphthorims. 

Cappadocia, (Maps 1, 8,) the most eastern province of Asia Minor, but 
variously extended at different times. Our first knowledge of it is under 
the Medes and Persians, when it was bounded east by Armenia Minor, 
north by the Black Sea, west by Paphlagonia and Phrygia, south by I yea- 
onia and the Taurus, which separated it from Cilicia. Cappadocia was sub' 
jugated by the Persians under Cyrus, but after the time of Alexander the 
Great it had kings of its own, although tributary to the Seleu:id;e. Under 
the Persians the northern part of the country, as above bounded, was a dis- 
tinct satrapy, and became afterward the independent kingdom of Pontus. 
The southern part also constituted a kingdom under the name of Cappado- 
cia. This latter kingdom had ten satrapies, to which Rome added the 
eleventh. The Cappadocians had their own domestic princes until their 
country was made, in A. D. 17, a Roman province, and placed under Roman 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 83 

rule. The boundaries of Cappadocia were modified, increased, and dimin- 
ished several times by the Roman Emperors. In New Testament times the 
province comprised also Lesser Armenia. Christianity was early propagated 
in Cappadocia. On the day of Pentecost some of its inhabitants were in 
Jerusalem, Acts ii, 9. In addressing Christians throughout Asia Minor 
Peter included the Cappadocians, 1 Pet. i, 1. Cappadocia was easily ap- 
proached from the direction of Palestine and Syria by means of the pase 
called the Cilician Gates. 

Car'chamis, 1 Esdr. i, 25. See Carchemtsh. 

Car'chemish, (Map 1,) fortress of Chemosh ; called also Charchemish, 
2 Chron. xxxv, 20. A city on the Euphrates, commanding the passage of 
the river, and therefore the battle-field of Egypt and Assyria, Isa, x, 9 ; Jer 
lxvi, 2. Mr. G. Smith identifies it with the ruins of Kalaat Jerabhis, on the 
west bank of the Euphrates, twenty miles below Bir or Biredjuk. 

Ca'ria, (Map 8,) the south-western district of Asia Minor. In 1 Mace, 
xv, 23, it is referred to as the residence of Jews. Caria is not mentioned 
in the Scriptures, although some of its cities (as Cnidus and Miletus) are 
spoken of, Acts xx, 15; xxvii, T. 

Carina nian, a savage people north of the Persian Gulf, 2 Esdr. xv, 30. 

Car'mel, (Map 5,) park, garden. 

1. A noted mountain range, running from the south end of the Bay of 
Acre inland in a south-east direction. Mt. Carmel consists of several con- 
nected hills, with an average height of about 1,500 feet. The highest point 
is 1,728 feet above the sea. Carmel extends about twenty-eight miles, and 
connects on the south-east with the mountains of Samaria. It separates 
the plain of Esdraelon from the great southern plain along the Mediter- 
ranean. Carmel first occurs in Josh, xii, 22 ; xix, 26, as the boundary of 
the tribe of A slier. It was compared, for its beauty and luxuriant forests, 
with Bashan, Sol. Song vii, 5; Isa. xxxiii, 9; xxxv, 2; Jer. xlvi, 18; 1, 19; 
Micah vii, 14; Nahum i, 4; 2 Kings xix, 23. There were caves on the 
sides toward the sea, Amos ix, 3, and these were used as hiding- 
places for refugees. Probably Elijah and Elisha during their stay at Car- 
mel occupied one of them, 1 Kings xviii, 19; 2 Kings ii, 25; iv, 25. The 
wonderful sacrifice on Carmel is detailed in 1 Kings xviii. After the sacri- 
fice Elijah repaired the altar, for it seems that worship had been there 
offered before. The place can now doubtless be identified with el-Mukhra- 
kah, the place of burning. There is a natural platform of naked rock, sur- 
rounded by a low wall ; the sea behind is just visible ; the greai plain (for 
it is at the south-eastern extremity of Carmel) lies in front, with Jezreel in 
the distance, and Kishon just at the mountain's base. There is a well of 
water near, and from this it has been supposed that the water was ob- 
tained which Elijah caused to be poured on his sacrifice and in the trench 
about the altar. But Dr. Thomson says that he has seen that almost dry ; 
he thinks, therefore, that it could not have contiuued through the long 
drought, and that the water was brought from the perennial sources of the 
Kishon. When, by the prophet's command, the idolatrous priests were 
seized, they were hurried down the track, still visible to the Kishon, by a 
knoll, now called Tell Kmsis, "hill of the priests," and there, according to 
the law, were put to death. Then Ahab and Elijah very probably returned 
to the Afukhrukah, Elijah to pray for rain, and Ahab to partake of the feast 
prepared and spread somewhere near at hand, which always formed part of 



84 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

these sacrifices. From this spot Elijah's servant would have had but a little 
way to go to command a full view of the sea. And when the cloud like a 
man's hand was seen, Ahab was bidden to ascend his chariot, and the proph- 
et, tightly girded,, preceded him as a runner to Jezreel, twelve miles distant, 
1 Kings xviii. Carmel has always been venerated. Pythagoras is said to 
have visited it; Yespasian offered sacrifices there; and to this day it is held 
sacred by Jews, Christians, and Moslems alike. There can be no reasonable 
doubt of the identity of the spot. It has been thought — and it is not un 
likely — that it was in Carmel that Elijah called down fire upon the two tit- 
ties sent by Ahaziah to apprehend him, 2 Kings i. It was frequently vis- 
ited by Elijah, and frequently alluded to by the prophets, (as above.) Car- 
mel at one time swarmed with monks and hermits, who burrowed in the 
many caves of the mount. One is caUed the " Cave of the Sons of the 
Prophets." In one tract, called the Monks' Cavern, there are as many as 
four hundred caves adjacent to each other, furnished with windows, and 
with places for sleeping hewn in the rock. The entrances are so narrow 
that only a single person can creep in at a time, and the caverns are so 
crooked that a person is immediately out of sight unless closely followed. 
See Amos ix, 3. At the present day a cavern is shown called the cave of 
Elijah, a little below the Monks' Cavern, and which is now a Moslem sanc- 
tuary. There is now a convent on Carmel ; and the mount is still wooded, 
and variegated with flowers. Dr. Thomson describes it as very difficult in 
some parts to force a way through the almost impenetrable jungle. From 
the summit the view is most impressive. Mr. Tristam {Land of Israel, 
p. 100) says: "We looked down from the giddy height and watched a long 
caravan of several hundred camels on their way thither, [to Egypt from 
Phoenicia,] with the attendant crowd of Bedouins and many wild horsemen 
cantering about them. What pictures of the past rose to the mind's eye I 
What a gush of historic fancies filled the imagination as we gazed on the 
strange scene !" Carmel is known by the name of Jebel Kurmul in Arabian 
writers ; but it is now generally called Mar Elyas. 

2. A town in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 55. Here Saul erected 
a triumphal monument after his expedition against Amalek, 1 Sam. xv, 12. 
Abigail and Nabal dwelt here, 1 Sam. xxv, 2, 5, 7, 40 ; hence Abigail was 
called the Carmelitess, xxvii, 3. Uzziah's husbandmen and vine-dressers 
were probably here, 2 Chron. xxvi, 10. It is now Kurmul, ten miles south- 
east of Hebron, with a conspicuous fort amid extensive ruins. 

Carmelite, a resident of Carmel, (2.) A designation of Nabal, 1 Sam. 
xxvii, 2 ; xxx, 5 ; 2 Sam. ii, 2 ; of Abigail, (" Carmelitess," A.Y.,) 2 Sam. iii, 3 ; 
1 Chr. iii. 1 ; also of one of David's warriors, 2 Sam. xxiii, 35 ; 1 Chr. xi, 37. 

Carmelitess, 1 Sam. xxvii, 3 ; 1 Chron. iii, 1. See Carmelite. 

Car'mites, Num. xxvi, 6, a family of Reuben, descended from Carmi. 

Car'naim, a fortress in Gilead. 1 Mace, v, 26, 43, 44; also called Car- 
nion, 2 Mace, xii, 21, 26. It is identical with Ashteroth-Karnaim. 

Car'nion. See Carnaim. 

Casiph'ia, silver (?), a place probably on the route between Babylon and 
Jerusalem, Ezra viii, 17. Not known. 

Cas'luhim, hopes of life, or as pardoned, or fortified. A people related to 
the Philistines, descended from Mizraim, of the family of Ham, Gen. x, 14; 
1 Chron. i, 1 2. Yarious localities are conjectured ; but the most probable 
seat of this tribe seems to have been somewhere in Upper Egypt. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. S5 

Cas'phon, Oas'phor, or Oas'pis, a fortress on the east of Jordan, 
1 Mace, v, 26, 36; 2 Mace, xii, 13. Not known. 

Oe'dron, a Greek form of Kid RON, which see. 

Ce'dron, a fort not far from Jamnia and Azotus, (Ashdod,) 1 Mace, xv, 
39, 41 ; xvi, 9. Perhaps it is the more ancient Gederah and the modern 
Kutrah, south of Nahr Rubin. 

Celosyr'ia. See Cuele-Syria. 

Cen'chrea, or Cen'chreee, (Map 8,) millet, the eastern harbor of Corinth 
on the Saronic Gulf, about nine miles from Corinth. Thence Paul sailed 
for Ephesus, Acts xviii, 18. In Rom. xvi, 1, we learn that afterward a 
Church was there organized. The site is occupied by the modern village of 
Kikries, where ruins of ancient buildings remain; as also traces of the 
moles of the port. 

Cesare'a. Seo Gesarea. 

Chalde'a, (Map 1,) (Hebrew, Kasdim, i. e. " Chaldeans.") The origin of 
the term Kasdim is very doubtful. It has been derived by some from Ke- 
sod, the son of Nahor, Gen. xxii, 22 ; but if Ur was already a city " of the 
Chaldees" before Abraham quitted it, (Gen. xi, 28,) the name Kasdim can- 
not possibly have been derived from his nephew. On the other hand, the 
term Chaldea has been connected with the city KalwadJia, (Chilmad of Eze- 
kiel xxvii, 23,) and this is possibly correct. Originally Chaldea was a small 
district in the southern part of Babylonia, lying almost entirely on the right 
bank of the Euphrates. Chaldea, however, is used in our version for the 
Hebrew ethnic appellative Kasdim, ("Chaldees,") under which term the in- 
habitants of the entire country are designated, and in this extended sense wo 
here employ it. Thus the Scripture Chaldea must be taken to include the allu- 
vial plain watered by the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, bounded on the east 
by the last-named stream, but extending across the .Euphrates westward to 
Arabia, and from the Persian Gulf running northward to about the thirty- 
fourth degree of latitude. This region was probably four hundred miles in 
length, with an average breadth of one hundred. The cities of Chaldea or 
Babylonia were very ancient and numerous. "Babel, and Erech. and Accad, 
and Calneh, in the land of Shinar," are the first towns mentioned in Scrip- 
ture, Gen. x, 10. Herodotus says there were in that couutry a " vast number 
of great cities." The soil was of great fertility, and it is said to have been 
the only country in the world where wheat grew wild. The ancient Babylo- 
nians worshiped nature, particularly the stars. Bel was the Supreme God, 
Isa. xlvi, 1 ; Jer. 1, 2 ; li, 44 ; Dan. (Sept.) xiv, 3, the Lord of heaven and 
light, who divided the heaven and the earth and made man. They had many 
gods, whose images were made of gold, silver, iron, wood, and stone, Jer. 1, 
38 ; Dan. v, 4-23. The kingdom was divided into provinces with their 
proper officers, Dan. ii, 48 ; hi, 1, 2. The history of Chaldea and Babylon is 
one of the saddest, yet one of the most profitable in the Bible. Chaldea, 
once so proud and glorious an empire, has long been "the hindermost of 
the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert," a land " wholly deso- 
late;" "a drought is upon her waters, and they are dried up," Jer. 1, 12, 
13, 38. "The sea has come up upon Babylon, and she is covered with the 
waves thereof," Jer. li, 42; and she is made "a possession for the bittern 
and pools of water," Isa. xiv, 23. More than half the country is left dry and 
waste frcm the want of a proper system of irrigation, while the remaining 
half is to a great extent covered with marshes, owing to the same neglect. 



86 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

The mighty cities are a heap of ruins, and the entire land fulfills the 
prophecy, "Because cf the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited ; 
. . . every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all 
her plagues," Jer. 1, 13. See Babylonia. 

Chaldeans, or Chal'dees. (For signification see Chaldea.) The in- 
habitants of Chaldea, Gen. xi, 28 ; Job i, 17 ; Isa. xxiii, 13 ; Jer. xxi, 4, 9; 
Ezek. i, 3, etc. Babylon was the capital of this people. It would seem that 
originally the tribe was located in the southern part of Babylonia, and 
that the name came by degrees to include other neighboring tribes, till it 
was commensurate with what was ultimately called Chaldea. Still the 
whole of the ancient Cushite language was retained as a literary and sacred 
tongue, so that those who acquired the learning of the Chaldeans studied 
it in this language, Dan. i, 4. Hence, by a very natural mode of speaking, 
persons who were proficients in such studies came to be specially termed 
Chaldeans ; so that we have here a new sense to the term, and thus the 
name is continually used in the book of Daniel (e. g., ii, 2, 4, 10) as syn- 
onymous with Magi, or astrologers ; and Daniel himself is called the " Mas- 
ter of the Chaldeans," (ver. 11.) The studies pursued were probably at first 
astronomy and the kindred sciences, which afterward degenerated into 
mere sorcery or soothsaying, so that the name of Chaldean was used by 
way of reproach. They appear to have been gathered into schools or acad- 
emies, of which the principal seats were Babylon, Ur, Borsippa, etc. See 
Babylon, Babylonia, Chaldea. 

Cha'naan, Judith v, 3, 9, 10 ; Baruch hi, 22 ; 1 Mace, ix, 37 ; Acts vii, 11 ; 
xiii, 19. Another form of Canaan. 

Cha'naanite, Judith v, 16, the same as Canaanite. 

Char'aca, a place mentioned in 2 Mace, xii, 17, as east of Jordan. 
Perhaps Kerak, south-east of the Dead Sea, marks the site, but very 
uncertain. 

Char' ashim, Valley of, ravine of craftsmen, a place perhaps near Lydda, 
(Lod,) 1 Chron. iv, 14; Neh. xi, 35, "valley of craftsmen." Not definitely 
known. 

Ohar'chamis, 1 Esdr. i, 25, and 

Char'chemish, 2 Chron. xxxv, 20 — forms of Carchemish. 

Char'ran, Acts vii, 2, 4. Elsewhere Haran. 

Che'bar, (Map 1,) length, or strength, power, a river of B-.bylonia, on the 
banks of which some of the Jewish captives were located, Fzek. i, 3; iii, 15, 
23; x, 15, 20, 22; lxiii, 3. By some it is thought to be tie Chaboras, (now 
Khubour ;) but more probably it was the Nahr Malcha, or royal canal of Neb- 
uchadnezzar, a very extensive work, in cutting which, perhaps, the exiles 
were employed. See Habor. 

Che'bel. In Josh, h, 15, the word signifies a rope or cv-d; in 1 Sam. x, 5, 
10, it means a band, company, or string of men; in 1 Kings xxx, 31; Isa 
xxxiii, 23; Amos vii, 17, "ropes," "tacklings," "line." tfee also Psa. cxix, 
61; Job xviii, 10; Psa. xviii, 4; Jer. xiii, 21, for metaphorical uses. Iu 
Psa. xvi, 6, "the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant phices." Hence it is 
used as a "portion," an "allotment," a "tract," a " distr-t," and in this 
sense it is always applied to the region of Argob, as surrounded or glrr with 
a definite boundary like the coast-line. Deut. iii, 4, 13, 14; 1 Kings iv, IS 
See Abgob. 

Chel'liari, Judith ii, 23, an inhabitant of Chellus. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 87 

Chel'lus, a place named with Kadesh as west of Jordan, Judith i, 9 ; ii, 
23. Perhaps Elusa, south of Palestine, may mark the site. 

Che'lod, Judith i, 6. Unknown. 

Che'phar-Haam'monai, village of the Ammonites. A village of Benjamin, 
Josh, xviii, 24, probably founded by the Ammonites. Not known. 

Caephi'rah, the village. In 1 Esdras v, 19, Caphira. One of the Gibeonite 
towns iu Benjamin, Josh, ix, 17; xviii, 26; Ezra ii, 25; Neh. vii, 29. It is 
now Kefir, two miles east of Yalo. 

Cher'ethim, perhaps Cretans. In Ezek. xxv, 16, and Zeph. ii, 25, the 
ward is rendered " Cherethims " and " Cherethites." See also 1 Sam. x.xx, 
14. A people named as inhabitants of southern Philistia. See Cherethite. 

Oher'ethite, a term found alone only in 1 Sam. xxx, 14. Elsewhere the 
u Cherethites " are named in connection with the " Pelethites." Tlie wr>rd, 
according to Gesenius, means executioners ; but some think it signifies those 
cut off, that is, exiles. The two classes of people here referred to were the 
life-guards, or body-guard of King David, 2 Sam. viii, 18; xv, 18; xx, 7, 23; 
1 Kings i, 38, 44; 1 Chron. xviii, 17 ; 2 Sam. xxiii, 23. The Gittites, who 
2ame after David from Gath. are sometimes mentioned in connection with 
the above, 2 Sam. xv, 18. See Cherethim, and especially Pelethites. 

Che'rith, (Map 5,) separation, a cutting, the torrent (brook) where Elijah 
hid during the early part of the drought, 1 Kings xvii, 3-7. Robinson iden- 
tities it with Wady Kelt, behind Jericho. Others suppose it to be east of the 
Jordan. Possibly it is the Wady Fasail, farther north than the Kelt ; but 
very uncertain. 

Che' rub, strong, a warder, as a master, fullness of knowledge, (the etymol- 
ogy is uncertain.) A place mentioned in Ezra ii, 59; Neh. vii, 61, from 
which some Jews who could not prove their pedigree returned with 
Zerubbabel. It is supposed to be in Babylonia. 

Ches'alon, (Map 6,) confidence, a place on the north-west boundary of 
Judah, said to be on the side of Mount Jearim, Josh, xv, 10. Probably 
Kesla, eight miles west of Jerusalem, marks the site. 

Che'sil, a fool, ungodly, a town in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 30. 
Probably it is identical with Betlnd and Bethuel, Josh, xix, 4 ; 1 Chron. iv, 30 ; 
I Sam. xxx, 27. 

Chesul'loth, the hopes, or the flank, a town of Issachar, Josh, xix, 18. 
Probably it is the same with Chisloth-Tabor of verse 12, and the Tabor of 
L Chron. vi, 77. Some think the modern flcsal marks the site. 

Ohet'tiim, 1 Mace, i, 1. A form of Chittim. 

Ohe'zib, false, a town where Judah was when his third son Shelah was 
born, Gen. xxx viii, 5. It is probably the same with Achzib (2) and Chozeba. 

Ohi'don, a javelin, dart, the name of the threshing-floor where Uzzah put 
forth his hand to prevent the ark from falling and was struck dead, 1 Chron. 
xiii, 9. In 2 Sam. vi, 6, it is called the threshing-floor of Nachon. It is not 
certainly identified, but is supposed to be not far north-west of Jerusalem. 

Cliilmad, perhaps teaching or learning; but the etymology is unknown. 
A place mentioned with Sheba and Assliur, Ezek. xxvii, 23. Its location is 
as undefined as the meaning of the name. See Chaldea. 

Ohin'nereth, (Deut. iii, 17; Josh, xxi, 35;) or Chinneroth, (Josh, xi, 2; 
xii, 3,) lyre. One of the fenced cities of Naphtali. Whether it gave its name 
to or received it from the lake, which was possibly adjacent, is uncertain This 
city was identified by Jerome, but merely on rumor, with the later Tiberias. 



88 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

M. de Saulcy won] A identity the site of Chinnereth with ire village of Abu 
ShusheJi, lying on the western edge of the plain El-ghuweir, on an eminence 
about its mid-length, at the entrance of Wady-Mubuduyeh. 

Chinnereth, Sea of, (Num. xxxiv, 11; Josh, xiii, 27;) or Chinnerolh, 
Josh, xii, 3. The lake subsequently called Sea of Gennesaret. 

Chios, (Map 1 ,) snow (?) or mastic (?,, a noted island in the JEgea^ Sea, be- 
tween Samos and Lesbos, belonging to Ionia in Asia Minor. Anciently it was 
celebrated for its wine. On his way from Asia to Jerusalem Paul passed 
this island, Acts xx, 15. It is called now, by the Greeks, Khio ; by the 
Italians, Scio. 

Chis'loth-Ta'bor, flank of Tabor, a place on the boundary of Zebulun, 
Josh, xix, 1 2. Iksal, two and a half miles west of Mount Tabor, may pos- 
sibly mark the site. See Chesulloth. 

Chit'tim, (Map 12.) Various significations are given, among which are 
Cyprians; tliose that bruise; gold; staining; but the primitive meaning is un- 
certain. Some think the term equivalent to Hittites. The Chittim were a 
Japhetic people or place remote from Palestine, separated therefrom by the 
sea, Num. xxiv, 24; Isa. xxiii, 1, 12; Jer. ii. 10; Ezek. xxvii, 6; Dan. xi, 
30. In Gen. x, 4, and 1 Chron. i, 7, the name is Kittim. In 1 Mace, viii, 
5, we find persons called "King of the Citims," that is, Chittim. In 1 Mace. 
i, 1, the term is Chettiim, and is applied to the Macedonians under Alexan- 
der the Great. Grove says that tj Chittim "in the Old Testament no doubt 
Cyprus is intended; but in the Apocrypha Macedonia." The best summary 
is given by Kitto: "Chittim seems to be a name of laige signification, (such 
as our Levant,) applied to the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean in a 
loose sense, without fixing the particular part, though particular and differ- 
ent parts of the whole are probably in most cases to be understood." 

Cho'ba and Cho'bai, Judith iv, 4 ; xv, 4, 5. Two places, probably iden- 
tical. Perhaps the place is the same with Hobah. near Damascus. See Gen. 
xiv. 15. Van de Velde suggests that it is probably the modern Kubatiych, 
a village one hour and a half south of Jenin, on the highway to Sebustiyth. 

Chor-A'shan, smoking furnace, one of the places which David and his 
men were "wont to haunt," 1 Sam. xxx, 30, 31. It is probably identical 
with Ashan of Simeon, Josh, xv, 42; xix, 7. 

Chora' zin, (Map 5,) various meanings are given, district of Zin; the secret; 
here is a mystery; woody places ; but the signification is uncertain. Chora- 
zin was a town of Galilee, mentioned with Bethsaida and Capernaum as 
prominent among the places where Christ performed some of his mighty 
works. Matt, xi, 21; Luke x, 13. The site is disputed by the ablest travel- 
ers. Dr. Robinson places it at the ruins Tell Ham, (see Capernaum;) 
while Dr. Thomson claims Kerazeh as the spot, two miles further north. 
The weight of authority seems to favor the latter place. Macgregor says, 
however, that if "Kerazeh be indeed Chorazin, it must surely be by a 
stretch of expression that we can say that town was ' upon the lake.' For 
a great part of the lake is hidden from Kerazeh. and its distance from the 
lake is at least two miles and a half in a straight line." The basaltic relics 
here "include some beautiful niches of pecten shape, delicately chiseled out 
of the rough black stone." See Our Work in Palestine, p. 200. 

Choze'ba, a place whose inhabitants are mentioned in 1 Chrcn. iv, 22. It 
is probably identical with Achzib and Chezib, Gen. xxxviii, 6; Josh, xv, 14, 
Conder identifies it with the ruin Khirbet Kueizlbah, north of Halhul. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 89 

Chub, meaning unknown. A terra occurring in Ezek. xxx, 5, as 
the name of a people in alliance with Egypt. It is variously con 
lectured to be the name of a tribe in Egypt, or of some other part of 
Africa. 

Chun, estallishment (?), place. A Syrian city from which David procured 
brass for building the temple, 1 Chron. xviii, 8. In 2 Sam. viii, 8, it is called 
Berotiiai, which see. Its site is not known. 

Ohu'si, a place mentioned in Judith vii, 18, as near Ekrebel. Some think 
it may have been at el-Kawzeh, six miles west of Akrabeh. 

Cilicia, (Map 1, ) from Cylix, the son of Agenor. The most south-easterly 
province of Asia Minor, bounded on the west by Pamphylia ; separated on 
the north from Cappadocia by the Taurus range, and on the east by 
Amanus from Syria, with which it was sometimes coupled, Acts xv, 23, 41 ; 
Gal. i, 21. The Mediterranean is on the south. The inhabitants are said 
to have sprung from the Syrians and the Phoenicians. Its capital was 
Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul. The Jews from Cilicia disputed with 
Stephen, Acts vi, 9. To its Churches the apostles sent a letter, and Paul 
visited the Churches, Acts xv, 23, 41; Gal. i, 21. Other notices may be 
found in Judith i, 7, 12; ii, 21, 25 ; 1 Mace, xi, 14; 2 Mace, iv, 36; Acts xxi, 
39 ; xxii, 1 ; xxiii, 34 ; xxvii, 5. Cilicia, after belonging partially to the 
Syrian kingdom and to Armenia, became in 63 B. O, when Pompey had 
subdued the noted pirates, a Roman province, and Cicero was once pro- 
consul of it. The inhabitants of its mountains, however, long maiutaiued 
their independence. 

Cin neroth, lyres or harps, 1 Kings xv, 20; probably the district called 
later the " Lake of Genesareth," and also the "plain of Q-enesareth." See 
Ge.vesaeeth. 

Cir'amah, 1 Esdras v, 20, a place whose people came up with Zorobabel 
from Babylon. It is probably the same with Ramah (1,) which see. 

Cit'ims, 1 Mace, viii, 5. The Macedonians. Elsewhere Chettiims and 
Ciiittim, which see. 

Oiau'da, (Map 8.) an island about seven miles long and three broad, off 
the south-west end of Crete, passed by St. Paul in his stormy voyage to 
Rome, Acts xxvii, 16. The modern name is Gozzo. 

Cni'dus, (Map 8,) a town at the extreme south-west end of Asia Minor, 
in Caria, on a promontory which projects between the islands of Cos and 
Rhodes, Acts xxi, 1. In 1 Mace, xv, 23, it is mentioned as one of the Greek 
cities which contained Jewish residents in the second century B. C. ; and in 
Acts xxvii, 7, as a harbor passed by Paul. Venus was worshiped here, 
and her famous statue, the work of Praxiteles, stood in one of the three 
temples dedicated to her. The ruins of Cnidus show it to have been a very 
magnificent city. 

Ccel'e-Syr'ia, (Map 5,) hollow Syria. This name (which does not occur 
in Scripture) was originally given by the Greeks to the valley or hollow 
between Libanus and Anti-Libanus, a region extending nearly a hundred 
miles between these mountain ranges. Afterward it included a much wider 
district, comprising the tracts east of the Jordan down to the very shores 
of the Red Sea, and the cities of Heliopolis, Abila of Lysanias, Damascus, 
Gadara, Pclla, Philadelphia, etc., and even Scythopolis on the west of the 
Jordan. In the Apocrypha it is mentioned as Celosyria, apparently as 
equivalent to Syria, 1 Esdras ii, 17, 24, 27; iv, 48 ; vi, 29; vii, 1; viii, 67: 



90 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

I Mace, x, 69; 2 Mace, iii, 5, 8; iv, 4; viii, 8; x, 11. In 1 Esdras vi, 3, it is 
called simply " Syria," See Syria. 

Cola, a place named in Judith xv, 4, in connection with Chobai, as one 
of the cities to which Ozias sent orders to expel the enemies of the Jews 
after the death of Holofernes. Perhaps the name is a corruption of Abel- 
meholah. Unknown. 

Colos'se, Colos'sae, and Colas'sse, punishment, correction, a city ot 
Phrygia on the river Lycus, which empties into the Meander. Hierapolis 
and Laodicea were near it, Col. ii, 1 ; iv, 13, 15, 16. This city was close to 
the great road which led from Ephesus to the Euphrates. It is spoken of 
as a city of considerable consequence. But Colossse was at length over- 
shadowed by the greater cities in its vicinity. It is probable that Paul had 
not been there when he wrote his Epistle to the Colossians, Col. ii, 1. 
Among the dwellers at this place were Philemon and his slave Onesimus, 
also Archippus and Epaphras, the latter of whom was, perhaps, the founder 
of the Colossinn Church, Col. i, 2, 1, 8 ; iv, 12. Angel worship is referred 
to in Col. ii, 18; and later a church in honor of the Archangel Michael was 
erected at the entrance of a chasm, in consequence of some legend connected 
with an inundation. Colossse, with the places mentioned above, was de- 
stroyed by an earthquake in the ninth year of Nero, but it must have been 
almost immediately rebuilt. The site of the ancient city was about three 
miles from the modern village of Chonas. The ruins are not extensive. 

Co'os, or Cos, (Map 8,) t<yp, a small island in the ^Kgean Sea, off the 
coast of Caria. Its more ancient names were Cea, Staphylus, Nymphcea, 
and Meropis, the last being the most common. In Maccabean times it was 
the residence of Jews, 1 Mace, xv, 23. On his voyage from Miletus to 
Judea Paul passed a night here, Acts xxi, 1. Cos was celebrated for its 
wines, ointments, and beautiful stuffs, and as the birthplace of Hippocrates. 
In the chief town of the island (bearing the same name) was a famous 
temple of vEsculapius. The modern name of the island is Stanchio. It 
has a population of about eight thousand, who mostly profess the Greek 
religion. 

Corinth, satisfied, ornament, beauty. Ephyre is given by Homer as its 
earliest name. A noted city of Greece, in the isthmus, which joins Pelo- 
ponnesus (the Morea) to the Continent. On a vast rock, rising abruptly about 
two thousand feet above the level of the sea, was the citadel, called the 
Acrocorinthus. Corinth had two harbors, Cenchrere, about eight miles dis- 
tant on the Eastern or Saronic Gulf, (Gulf of ^gina,) and Lechasum on the 
Western or Corinthian Gulf, (Gulf of Lepanto,) a mile and a half away. 
Situated thus advantageously, Corinth became wealthy and strong. After 
sulfering various reverses, the city was at length utterly destroyed by the 
Roman General Mummius, 146 B. C. For a century it lay waste, only some 
temples and the citadel remaining. In the year 46 B. C. Julius Cesar 
restored it and made it the Roman capital of the province of Achaia. It 
was repeopled partly by freedmen from Rome. Its former beauty soon 
returned. This new city was a regular square of forty stadia on the north 
side of the citadel, with walls on three sides. Magnificent temples and 
public buildings, partly raised out of the old rums, partly new built, 
adorned it, especially the market-place. The road to the Acropolis, made 
long by windings, led past temples, altars, and statues, and on the citadel 
stood the splendid temple of Venus, adorned with a panoplied image of the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 93 

goddess. The fortress was thought to be the strongest in Greece. Pre- 
senting a perpendicular frout on the north, its approaches from all other 
sides were steep and well- fortified. Its situation secured to it extensive 
commerce, and made it the post and highway of the natural and artistic 
products of the Orient and Occident. Becoming populous and very rich, 
Corinth also became luxurious and corrupt to a proverb. Fired by the 
worship of Venus, sensuality prevailed to a most fearful extent. The arte 
were cultivated, and its architecture, its sculptures, and its vases havo a 
world-wide renown. 

This brief description of the city will greatly assist in a fuller compre- 
hension of Scripture passages. Paul's visit to Corinth is narrated in Acts 
xviii. Paul founded a Church here, and the Lord had " much people." See 
2 Cor. xii, 14 ; xiii, 1. Apollos visited Corinth, Acts xix, 1. A schism occurred 
in the Church, 1 Cor. i, 12; iii, 4. The immoralities of the Church, 1 Cor. v; 
1 Cor. xi. The Church wrote to Paul, 1 Cor. vii, 1. Its alienation from 
Paul, 2 Cor. x. Abuse of ordinances, 1 Cor. xi, 22, and xiv. Heresies 
in Corinth, 1 Cor. xv, 12 ; 2 Cor. xi. Lawsuits, 1 Cor. vi. Liberality of the 
Church, ii, 9. Visit of Titus, 2 Cor. viii; xii, 18. Erastus of Corinth, Rom. 
xvi, 23; 2 Tim. iv, 20. Stephanas, 1 Cor. i, 16; xvi, 15, 17. Crispus, Acts 
xviii, 8; 1 Cor. i, 14; Caius, Rom. xvi, 23; 1 Cor. i, 14. While it may be 
seen from 1 Cor. xii, 2, that the Gentiles predominated in the Church, we 
may infer from Acts xviii, that there were many Jewish converts. The 
Church was, doubtless, therefore composed of the Roman freedmen, the 
native Greeks, and the Jews. The Judaizing element was strong, and party 
spirit struggled for the mastery, with the watch-words Apollos, Peter, and 
Paul. Paul nobly and wisely reproves these factions in the third and twelfta 
chapters of 1 Corinthians, adding Ms magnificent eulogy of charity or love, 
m the thirteenth chapter. 

In the year 268 B. C, Corinth was burned by the Goths, and in 525 it 
was destroyed by an earthquake. From that time the city endured many 
reverses, until in 1715 the Turks gained possession of it, and held it until 
the period of the Greek revolution, when it became the seat of the new gov- 
ernment, although taken and retaken more than once during the war. It 
is still an Episcopal see. The former glory of Corinth has entirely passed 
away. There remains amid the ancient ruins a miserable village called 
Gortho, composed of wretched houses, whose forlorn occupants " move like 
shadows along the streets." 

Cos. See Co'os. 

Crete, (Map 8,) carnal, fleshly, a large island in the Mediterranean, about 
one hundred and sixty miles long, and varying from six to thirty-five miles 
wide. Acts ii, 11; xxvii, 7, 12, 13, 21. Crete was anciently celebrated for 
its hundred cities. Although very mountainous, the island has many fruit- 
ful valleys. Mount Ida, one of the famous peaks, contained among its re- 
markable caverns the renowned Labyrinth of antiquity. Many of the fables 
of mythology laid their scenes in Crete. The inhabitants claimed a very 
ancient ancestry, and the island was the seat of the most ancient culture, 
the earliest tribes having sought to secure its possession. The great legis- 
lator Minos was from Crete. The Cretans were noted for their patriotism 
and for their skill in archery; but they also bore a bad reputation for false- 
hood, deceit, avarice, and licentiousness, Titus i, 12. Titus was left here, 
i, 5. The prophet quoted by Paul (verse 12) was Epimenides of Gnossus, 

5 



94 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

m whose works Jerome found the passage. In Acts xxvii, 7, 8, 12, we find 
mention of the following places in Crete : Salmone, La sea, Phenice ; and in 
1 Mace xv, 23, Gortyna. The island now bears the name of Candia, (but 
the Turks called it Kirid,) and has a population of about 300,000, mostly 
Greeks. The modern Cretans, are said by travelers, to be no better than 
in the days of Paul — "the worst characters in the Levant." Through 
very varied fortunes, Crete at length, in 1669, passed under the power 
of the Turks. The Christians of Crete rose against Turkish despotism in 
1866, demanding annexation to Greece. For several years they struggled 
against their oppressors. The sympathy of Greece with Crete caused a 
serious and constant irritation between Greece and Turkey. The insurrec- 
tion of the Christians against the Turkish rule continued until the close of 
the year 1868, and it was not until the last days of December that the 
leaders abandoned open resistance as being for the present useless. The 
people of the United States were in lively sympathy with the Cretans. 
The Metropolitan of Athens, in a speech addressed to the American minister 
in Greece, (June 27, 1868,) remarked: " We could hardly stand in our great 
struggle without the favors of America; but for American kindness many 
Cretan widows and orphans must have perished of hunger and cold. God 
bless the Americans, the benefactors of the Christians of the East! " 

Oretes and Ore'tians, the people of Crete. 

Cush, (Map 12,) (derivation uncertain; but some give as signification, 
blackness, black, heat) The name of a region inhabited by tribes of the 
Hamite family, Gen. x, 6, 7, 8 ; 1 Chron. i, 8-10; Isa. xi, 11. If there was 
(as some think) an antediluvian Cush, (Gen. ii, 13,) it was in Asia ; and 
Cush, the Hamite, may have had his name from a settlement or allotment 
there. Not to spend time on mere conjectures here, we may notice that the 
chief habitations of the Cushites were to the south of Egypt, in the exten- 
sive tracts called Ethiopia, Ezek. xxix, 10. They also appear to have spread 
m the Arabian peninsula, where tribes descended from them, Gen. x, 7. 
Egypt and Cush are associated in the majority of instances in which the 
word occurs, Psa. lxviii, 31 ; Isa. xviii, 1 ; Jer. xlvi, 9, etc. ; but iu two pas- 
sages Cush stands in close juxtaposition with Elam and Persia, Isa. xi, 11; 
Ezek. xxxviii, 5. The terms Cush and Cushites are frequently translated 
in our version Ethiopia and Ethiopians. In the ancient Egyptian inscrip- 
tions Ethiopia above Egypt is termed Keesh or Kesh, and this territory prob- 
ably corresponds perfectly with the African Cush of the Bible. (See Wilkin- 
son's Egypt.) The Cushites were black, Jer. xiii, 23 ; robust and large in 
stature, Isa. xlv, 14, and probably wealthy, xliii, 3. The wife of Moses was 
a Cushite, Num. xii, 1, (margin.) For valuable information see Smith's, 
Kitto's, and McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedias. 

Cu'shan, a name found in Hab. iii. 7, and usually thought to be identical 
with Cush. S^me regard it as the same with the name (of aman)Chushan- 
Rishathaim. Judg. iii, 8-16. 

Ou'shi, that is, the Cushite, the Ethiopian, 2 Sam. xviii, 21-23, 31, 32. 

Outh, (Map 14,) and Cu'thah, (signification unknown,) a region whence 
colonists were brought by the King of Assyria into Samaria, 2 King* xvii, 
24, 30. The locality of this region is extremely uncertain. There are va- 
rious conjectures. Joseph us thought it was a region of inner Persia. Some 
think that the Cutheans may be identical with a warlike tribe called Cossa?i, 
which occupied the mountain ranges between Media and Persia. Bosen- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 95 

inuller and some others favor the Arabian Irak, in the district of the Nahr- 
Maieha, or royal canal, which connected the Euphrates and Tigris to the 
south of the present Bagdad. Some of the Arabic and Persian writers 
placed here a town called Kutha. This site has been identilied with the 
ruins of Towibah, immediately adjacent to Babylon. Other localities are 
given, the most of which are essentially in the same quarter. It is also 
claimed that there may be some historical and etymological connection 
between Cuth and the Gush of Gen. ii, 13. See Gush. 

Cy'amon, a place mentioned in Judith vii, 3, as lying in the plain over 
against Esdraelon. Grove inclines to identify it with Tell Kaimon, at the 
eastern end of Carmel. Schultz thinks it the modern Kumieh, south cast 
of Little Hermon. Robinson supposes it may correspond with the present 
Fuleh, on the east side of the plain of Esdraelon. 

Cyp'rians, people of Cyprus, 2 Mace, iv, 29. 

Cyprus, (Map 8,) the well-known island off the coast of Syria, Acts xxi, 
3; xxvii, 4. Its greatest length is one hundred and forty miles, with a 
width varying from five to fifty miles. It was anciently exceedingly pro- 
ductive. It also yielded precious stones, iron, lead, tin, and copper. The 
island had very great commercial advantages. It became the chief seat of 
the rites of Venus. Prominent among its ancient cities were Citium, Sala- 
mis, Paphos, Amathos, Arsinoe, and Solos. Its earliest inhabitants were 
mainly Phoenicians, who built many of its cities ; but Greek colonists settled 
on its coasts. Cyprus is frequently mentioned in Scripture. Jews very 
early settled there. The Kittim of Gen. x, 4, and Chittim of Isa. xxiii, 1, 
are primarily the inhabitants of Citium, and then of the whole island. (See 
2 Mace, iv, 29 ; x, 13 ; xii, 2.) Cyprians are named in Acts iv, 30 ; xxi, 16. 
The first preachers of the Gospel to the Greeks were Cyprians and Cyre- 
nians, Acts xi, 20. The first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas 
commenced with Cyprus, Acts xiii, 1-13 ; and thither Barnabas went again 
with Mark, Acts xv, 39. In Acts xiii, 5, 6, 7. 13, Salamis and Paphos are 
named as cities of Cyprus. In 1873 General Cesnola brought to America a 
large and exceedingly valuable collection of Cypriote curiosities. They con- 
sist of articles in brass and glass, of fine pottery and marble statuary. 

Gyrene, (Map 8,) a city of Libya, Acts ii, 10. It probably took its 
name from a neighboring fountain called Cyre. Cyrene was founded by a 
colony of Greeks from the island Thera in the ^Egean, about 632 B. C. The 
city stood on a table-land, eighteen hundred feet above the level of the sea, 
in a beautiful and fertile region. It was the capital of a district called Cy- 
renaica; and, with its port, Apollonia, about ten miles off, and the cities 
Barca, Teuchira, and Hesperis, (subsequently named Ptolemais, Arsinoe, 
and Berenice,) it formed the Cyrenaic Pentapolis. It became a dependency 
of Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. Then Jews began to 
frequent it. In 75 B. C. Cyrene became a Roman province ; and in 67 B. C, 
with Crete, it formed a single province, which frequently received the 
name Creta-Cyrene. Simon, the Cyrenian, was compelled to bear the Sav- 
iour's cross. Matt, xxvii, 32; Mark xv, 21; Luke xxiii, 26. Some of the 
first Christian teachers were from Cyrene, Acts, xi, 20 ; xiii, 1. Jews from 
this city were numerous in Jerusalem; hence the designation of a svna- 
gogue there, Acts, ii, 10; vi, 9. (See also 1 Mace, xv, 23, and 2 Mace. ii,"23.) 

Cyrene was destroyed in the fourth century by Libyans and Saracens, and 
still the city, together with the surrounding district, is a waste place and a 



96 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

desolation. "Wild beasts and wandering Bedouins alternately occupy this 
region which was once fo populous, wealthy, and fertile. 

Cyre'iiian, a native of Cyrene or Cyrenaica, Mark xv, 21 ; Luke xxiii, 16; 
Acts vi, 9. 

Dab'areh, Josh, xxi, 28, an inaccurate form for Daberath. 

Dab'basheth, hump of a camel, a border town of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 11. 

Dab'erath, (meaning uncertain,) a town of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 12, or 
perhaps of Issachar, Josh, xxi, 28; 1 Chron. vi, 72; allotted to the Ger- 
shonite Levites. Inaccurately called Dabareh, Josh, xxi, 28. It is probably 
identical with the small modern village Deburieh, at the western foot of 
Tabor. This is a small, poor, filthy place, containing the bare walls of an 
old church based upon massive foundations of a still older date. 

Dale, The King's, Gen. xiv, 17; 2 Sam. xviii, 18. A valley near Jerusa- 
lem, which is probably identical with the southern part of the valley of 
Jehoshaphat, opening into the plot used for the king's garden, about the 
well of Joab. See Map 7. 

Dalmanu'tha, a place near the Sea of Galilee, into the parts of which 
our Lord is said to have come, Mark viii, 10. The parallel verse, (Matt, xv, 
39,) states that Christ came "into the coasts of Magdala." The two places 
were therefore contiguous. A mile beyond Magdala (see Map 5) are fields, 
gardens, copious springs, and ruins. The place is called ' Ain el-B&rideh, 
and it is supposed by Porter and others, with great probability, to be the 
site of Dalmanutha. Dr. Thomson suggests Dalhamia, on the river south 
of the lake ; and Schwarz finds it in the " cave of Ttliman" situated prob- 
ably in the cliffs above Mejdel. 

Dalma'tia, (Map 8,) a district in Illyricum, on the east of the Adriatic 
Sea, visited by Titus, 2 Tim. iv, 10. 

Damascenes', people of Damascus, 2 Cor. xi, 32. 

Damas'cus, (Map 5,) (in Hebrew, Dammesek, activity (?) referring probably 
to its commerce ;) but some derive the word from a root which mekns " to 
be red," from the color of the earth around Damascus. The etymology is 
quite uncertain. The city is called by the Syrians DarmsuJc ; by the Arabs, 
DimasckJc, or Es-Scham (" the East," the name of the country.) 

Damascus is one of the most ancient and important cities of Syria. It 
lies on the eastern base of Anti-Libanus, in a well-watered, (2 Kings v, ] 2,) 
fertile plain, the beauty of which led the Orientals to call it one of the 
four terrestrial paradises. Julian terms it " the great and sacred Damas- 
cus, surpassing every city both in the beauty of its temples and the mag- 
nitude of its shrines, as well as the timeliness of its seasons, the limpidness 
of its fountains, the volume of its waters, and the richness of its soil." 
Damascus owes all its advantages to its rivers, 2 Kings v, 12. (See Abaxa, 
Pijarpar.) The antiquity of the city may be inferred from Gen. xiv, 15; 
xv, 2. From the latter passage some think it was built by Abraham or 
Eliezer. 

The first reliable notices of the city are found in 2 Sam. viii, 5, 6 ; 
1 Chron. xviii, 5, 6 ; 2 Sam. x, 6 ; 1 Kings xi, 23, etc. ; xv, 18, 19 ; 2 Chron. 
xvi, 2-7 ; 1 Kings xx, 1-34 ; xxii, 1, etc., in connection with accounts of 
hostilities between the kings of Judah and Israel, and those of Damas- 
cus. See also 2 Kings vi, vii, viii, xiii, xiv, xvi. For prophecies con- 
cerning this city, see Isa. xvii; Amos i, 3-5; Jer. xlix, 23-27. Damascus 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 99 

passed afterward into the hands of the Persians, the Greeks, and the Ro- 
mans — Syria being reduced to a Roman province by Pompey, B. C. 64. 
Herod the Great erected baths and theaters in Damascus. 

Paul was converted on his way to this city, Acts ix ; and subsequently 
the Governor sought to apprehend him, 2 Cor. xi, 32. Many Jews were 
there, and they had several synagogues, Acts ix, 2 ; and many of them em- 
braced the Gospel, Acts viii, 1 ; xi, 19. Christianity was planted in Damas- 
cus by Paul, Acts ix, 20 ; Gal. i, 12. The Gospel spread so rapidly among 
the population that in the time of Constantine the great temple was con* 
verted into a cathedral church, and dedicated to John the Baptist. The 
ci'.j Tvas at length, in A. D. 634, taken from the Christians by the Moham- 
medans. After various reverses under several masters, in 1516 Selim I. 
took the city from the Mamelukes and incorporated it with the Turkish 
Empire. The Mohammedans of Damascus are the greatest fanatics in the 
East. These fanatics in July, 1860, suddenly rose against the defenceless 
Christians of the city, massacred about six thousand of them in cold blood, 
and left their whole quarters in ashes, thus exterminating nearly the whole 
male population of the Christians. 

Damascus is still the largest city in Asiatic Turkey. It is one of the 
most regular and cleanly of Oriental capitals, containing about 140,000 in- 
habitants, of whom about 6,000 are Jews. Before the massacre the Chris- 
tians were reckoned at 15,000. Travelers vie with each other in describing 
the natural beauties of the site of Damascus. The houses are externally 
mean, but within many are truly magnificent. Sacred localities are shown 
the visitor. About a mile and a half east of the city the place is pointed 
out where Paul was converted. In the city the houses of Judas and Si- 
mon, (Acts ix, 11, 11,) t-nd the window from which Paul escaped, (2 Cor. 
xi, 33,) are shown. A long street running from north-east to south-west, 
is thought to be that named in Acts ix, 11. The reputed house of Naaman 
has been converted into a hospital for lepers. But little credit can be given 
to any of these traditions. 

Dam'mesek, 2 Kings xvi, 9, marg. Damascus. 

Dam'mim. See Epiies-Dammim. 

Dan, (Map 5,) judge. 1. One of the tribes of Israel, named from Dan, 
Jacob's first son by Bilhah, Gen. xxx, 6. Their allotment was on the sea- 
shore, having Ephraim on the north, Ephraim and Judah on the east, 
Judah and Simeon on the south. Dan was one of the most numerous of 
the tribes of Israel, Num. i, 39; xxvi, 41; only Judah and the double tribe 
of Joseph exceeding it. Although their allotment was very small, it had 
eminent natural advantages, and was one of the most fertile tracts in all 
Canaan. So rich a prize was not readilj' yielded up by the Canaanites. 
Hence the Amorites "forced the children of Dan into the mountain, for 
they would not suffer them to come down into the valley," Judg, i, 34; 
com p. 1 Kings iv, 19. Thus the Amorites seem to have retained portions 
of Dan until Solomon's time. Of the cities given to Dan (Josh, xix, 40) 
many, as Ekron and Joppa, never were secured by them ; others (like Beth- 
Shemesh) fell into the hands of Judah, as did also Eshtaol and Zoreah, 
Josh, xxi, 16; 1 Chron. vi, 59; Josh, xv, 33; Judg. xviii, 1-12. During 
the expedition against Jabin, under Deborah, Dan "remained in ships," 
Judg. v., 17, and seems, therefore, in part, at least, to have dwelt along the 
coast. But soon after a portion of this warlike and enterprising, though 



300 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

greatly diminished tribe, seems to have quit its narrow limits, moved north- 
ward, and suddenly taken the rich and flourishing city of Laish ; probably 
a Sidonian colony, situated near the sources of the Little Jordan. They 
then called this city Dan, and occupied it and the adjacent country, Judg. 
xx, 1 ; Josh, xix, 47. On their way to Laish. the Danites robbed one Mi- 
cah, of Mount Ephraim, of sacred objects, used in an unlawful image-wor- 
ship of Jehovah, and persuaded a Levite, who had been serving Micah, to 
join them. At Laish they set up Micah's graven image, and made it the 
center of their worship, Judg. xviii. This continued until the exile. 
Some of the tribe remained in the original allotment, near Eshtaol and 
Zoreah, Judg, xiii, 2, 25 ; xvi, 31 ; but they seem to have been overpowered 
by the Philistines, and then to have merged into the more powerful tribe 
of Judah ; so that the above-named colony was the only distinct represent- 
ative of the tribe remaining at the time of the exile. This may be the 
reason why, in Rev. vii, 6, Dan is omitted. In Dent, xxxiii, 22, is the pro- 
phetic utterance : " Dan is a lion's whelp ; lie shall leap from Bashan." In 
Gen. xlix, 16, 17, is the prophetic blessing of Jacob upon Dan. The above 
sketch illustrates the fulfillment of the former prophecy, while the admin- 
istration of the heroic Samson (who was of this tribe) illustrates the 
meaning of Dan, that is, to judge, and throws some light on the " blessing " 
of the patriarch. For account of Samson as thus connected with this 
tribe, see Judges xiii, xiv, xv, xvi. 

2. The city of Dan. The original name was Leshem or Laish, Josh, xix, 
47. It was located in the extreme north of Palestine — as Beersheba was 
in the extreme south. Hence the expression " from Dan to Beersheba," 
(Judg. xx, 1,) meaning throughout the whole land. Laish being captured 
by the Danites, was called by them Dan. See above under the tribe of 
Dan. The people of Laish are said to have lived " after the manner of the 
Zidonians," but far from them. They may have been a colony of Zidon. 
The Danites brought with them to Laish the graven images stolen from 
Micah, and there long continued the worship thereof, Josh, xix, 47 ; Judges 
xviii. Subsequently Jeroboam here set up one of his calves, 1 Kings xii, 
29, 30. Dan is twice mentioned in the Pentateuch, Gen. xiv, 14; Deut. 
xxxiv, 1. In the last-named place, probably Dan-Laish is meant ; as the 
account of Moses' death must have been supplied by a later writer. As to 
the former, it is not easy to decide. There might have been another Dan 
in Abraham's time; but the subject is one of those upon which we can 
only conjecture. Dan was near Paneas, on the road to Tyre, just by the 
mound now called Tell-el-Kady, ("the Judge's Mound,") close by which rises 
the Leddan. There is no habitation. A few ruins are found in the vicinity, 
but so dense is the jungle of briers, thorns, and thistles, that the explore! 
•Inds no satisfaction in looking for further ruins. 

3 A place associated with Javan in reference to Phoenicia. Ezek. xxv'i, 
19. See Vedan. 

Dan'ites, members of the tribe of Dan, Judg. xiii, 2 ; xviii, 1, 11 j 
1 Chron. xii, 35. 

Dan-Ja'an, perhaps woodland- Dan. It occurs only in 2 Sam. xxiv, 6. It 
is generally believed to be identical with Dan, or Laish. Schultz inclines 
to identify it with an ancient site called Danian, or Danyal, discovered by 
him in the mountains above Khan en-Nakura. south of Tyre. Some think 
it near Gilead. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



101 



Dan'nah, perhaps lowly, or lowland, or murmuring, a city among the 
mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 49. On the hills west of Wady el-Khulil i.9 
die modern village of el-Dholieriyeh, consisting of stone hovels, with 
remains of older structures, which some conjecture to be the site of Dannah. 
Conder identities it with Domeh, two miles north of El Dholierijth. See Debir. 

Daphne, tne laurel, a famous sanctuary of Apollo, with a grove, 2 Mace, 
iv, 33. The site was one of great natural beauty. It is identified with 
Beit el-Maa, (" the House of the Water,") on the Orontes, five miles south- 
west of Antioch. 

Dath'ema, a fortress in Gilead, 1 Mace, v, 9, 24, 28, 29, 35. It is poss - 
bly Ramoth-Gilead — as in the Syriac version. 

Da'vid, City of. 1. 2 Sam. v, 7. See Zion. 

2. Luke ii, 4, 11. See Bethlehem, Jerusalem. 

Dead Sea. See Sea. 

De'bir, sanctuary. 1. The earlier name was Kirjath-Sepher or Kirjath- 
Sannah, Josh, xv, 15, 49; Judg. i, 11. A city in the higldands of Judah 
near Hebron, captured by Joshua, Josh, x, 38, 39; xi, 21; xii, 13; xv, 49. 
See also Josh, xv, 15-17; Judg. i, 11-13. Afterward it was allotted to 
the priests, Josh, xxi, 15 ; 1 Chron. vi, 58. Mr. Grove says : " Perhaps the 
name may be traced in Dewir-ban, three miles west Hebron." Yan de Velde 
says: "Perhaps at Dilbeh, six miles south-west of Hebron. Lieut. Conder 
identifies it (January, 1875) with El Bhohcrijeh. See Dannah. 

2. A piace on the north boundary of Judah, between Jericho and Jeru- 
salem, Josh, xv, 7. Unknown. 

3. A frontier place of Gad, Josh, xiii, 26, east of Jordan, not far from 
Mahanaim, and possibly the same with Lodebar in 2 Sam. xvii, 27. 

Decap'olis, the ten cities. A region contaiuing ten cities, Matt, iv, 25 ; 
Mark v, 20; vii, 31. This region lay in the north-eastern part of Pales- 
tine, near the lake of Gennesaret, embracing a tract probably on both sides 
the Jordan. The population of these cities were mostly heathen, (Luke viii, 
26, 27, 39,) and the cities themselves, without any special connection, were 
endowed with certain privileges by the Romans who had authority over 
them. Probably other neighboring cities had similar privileges. The limits 
of this territory are not defined with accuracy, aud geographers do not 
all agree as to the names of the cities. Pliny gives the following list: 
Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Dion, 
Pella, Gerasa, and Canatha — ah east of Jordan, except Scythopolis. 

This region was exceedingly prosperous and populous in the time of 
Christ. Now it is as a wilderness, with scarcely an inhabitant. There are 
many and extensive ruins, those of Gerasa being the most magnificent in 
Palestine. Of the ten, Damascus alone flourishes. A few wretched fami- 
lies still live among the ruins of Scythopolis, Gadara, and Canatha. 

Decision, Yalley of, (Joel hi, 14,) a poetical name for the Valley of 
Jehoshaphat. 

De dan, (Map 12,) (meaning doubtful.) Two tribal ra.mes. 

1. Cushites, Gen. x, 7 ; 1 Chron. i, 9; "the sons of Raamah, Sheba, and 
Dedan." These were on the Persian Gulf. 

2. Keturhitea, from a son of Jokshan, Abraham's son by Keturah, Gen. 
xxv, 3; 1 Chron. i. 32; Jer. xxv, 23; xlix, 8; Ezek. xxv, 13. These were 
on the borders of Iduinea. See Ezek. xxvii, 15, 20 ; xxxviii, 13 ; though 
to which of the two these refer is uncertain. Some have supposed that 



102 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

two different tribes descended from these two sources, but it is probable 
that they were a single people, and that the posterity of the Abrahamic inter- 
married with that of the Hamitic Dedan. The discussion, though very 
valuable, is too long for our limits. See Smith's Dictionary. 

Ded'anim, people of Dedan, Isa. xxi, 13. 

Deha'vites, villagers, a tribe from whom the King of Assyria had sent 
colonists into Samaria, Ezra iv, 9. They are probably the Dai of Herodo- 
tus, (a nomad Persian tribe east of the Caspian Sea,) and perhaps the 
ancestors of the Panes. 

De'lus, manifest, 1 Mace, xv, 23. An island in the iEgean, sacred to 
Apollo. Extensive ruins remain. It, together with an adjoining island, is 
now called Dhiles. 

Der'be, (Map 8,) perhaps juniper tree, a small city of Lycaonia, coupled 
with Lystra,.Actsxiv, 6, 20; xvi, 1. In Acts xx, 4, (in Greek,) is the term 
" Derbaean," referring to Gaius, who was born there. It was probably near 
the pass called the " Cilician gates." Derbe was frequently visited by Paul. 
The most probable claim for the site seems to be at Divle, near the base of 
Taurus. 

Dib'lath, (Hebrew, Diblah,) Ezek. vi, 14. Possibly a corruption of 
Riblah. 

Diblatha'im, (Map 2,) two or twin cakes, a place mentioned in the com- 
bined names Almon-Diblathaim, and Beth-Diblathaim, Num. xxxiii, 46 ; Jer. 
xlviii, 22; all referring to the same city of Moab — a station of the 
Israelites. 

Di'bon, (Map 2,) a pining, wasting, or perhaps a river-place. The name 
of two cities. 

1. A town east of Jordan, assigned to Gad, Num. xxi, 30 ; xxxii, 3, 34 ; 
but afterward assigned to Reuben, Josh, xiii, 9, 17. Later it was held by 
Moabites, Isa. xv, 2; Jer. xlviii, 18, 22. In Num. xxxiii, 45, it is called 
Dibon-Gad, and doubtless is the Dimon of Isa. xv, 9. About three miles 
north of the Arnon exist extensive ruins, bearing the name Dibdn, which 
are believed to be the site of Dibon. In 1868 a black basalt stone 
block was discovered here among the ruins, containing a curious inscription. 
It contains an historical record of the life and deeds of Mescha, a Moabite 
king, and of his warfare against Joram, King of Israel, and Josaphat, King 
of Judah. The language is not purely Hebrew, but shows peculiarities of 
a Moabitic dialect. See Perea. 

2. A town in the south of Judah, Neh. xi, 25. It is probably the same 
with the Dimonah of Josh, xv, 22. The site is not certainly known, al- 
though several authorities incline to place it at the modern Ed-Dheib, a 
place on the south side of a shallow wady by the same name, a short dis- 
tance north-east of Tdl-Arad. 

Dibon-Gad, (Map 2.) Dibon or washing of Gad, a halting-place of the 
Israelites, Num, xxxiii, 45, 46, identical with the Dibon (1) of Num. xxi, 30. 

Dik'lah, a Joktanite tribe, Gen. x, 27; 1 Chron. i, 21, whose territory 
cannot certainly be determined. The name in Arabic meaning a palm-tree, 
it is supposed that the descendants of Joktan occupied some region abound- 
ing in palms. In Arabia were several such regions. Among many differ- 
ent conjectures, perhaps the most probable one is that the Diklahites settled 
in Yemen, (in the south-west of Arabia,) occupying a position a little east 
of the Htjaz. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 103 

Dil'ean, gourd-field, a town in the low country of Judah, Josh, xv, 38. 
Van de Velde suggests the modern Tina as its site, in the plain south of 
Ekron. 

Dim'nah, dung-hiU, a Merarite city in Zebulun, Josh, xxi, 34. In 1 Chron. 
vi, 77. Rimmon is probably substituted for it. 

Di'mon, Waters of, pining, wasting, a city in Moab " with waters," 
Isa. xv, 9. Doubtless identical with Dibon, (1.) 

Dim on ah, pining, wasting, a city in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 22. 
Probably the same with the Dibon (2) of Neh. xi, 25. 

Di'naites, an Assyrian people, from whom colonists were placed in the 
cities of Samaria, Ezra iv, 9. Their location and the meaning of the term 
are unknown. 

Din'habah, perhaps robbers' den or place of plundering, a city of Bcla, 
King of Edom, Gen. xxxvi, 32 ; 1 Chron. i, 43. The site is not determined. 

Di'phath. 1 Chron. i, 6, marg. See Riphath. 

Diz'ahab, of gold, or possesser of gold, that is, a place where there is much 
gold. A place in the Arabian Desert, Deut. i, 1. It is probably the cape 
now called Dahub, on the west side of the Gulf of Akabah, where some 
ruins exist. 

Do'cus, a small fortress near Jericho, where Simon Maccabeus and two 
of his sons were murdered. It was probably at or near Mm Dak, near 
which are traces of ancient foundations. 

Do'danim, and Dod'anim, leaders, (?) the name of a tribe descended 
from one of the sons of Javan, Gen. x, 4; 1 Chron. i, 7. In the margin and 
in the text of some copies the word is Rodanim, which is probably an 
error. As to their place of abode authorities differ. Some think the 
Dodanim were the Dardani or Trojans ; others the Daunians in Italy ; and 
others, with still less probability, the Rhodians. Thus, both their territory 
and the meaning of the term are involved in obscurity. 

Doph'kah, (Map 2,) knocking, or perhaps driving, (of cattle,) an encamp- 
ment of the Israelites, between Rephidim and the sea, in the Desert of Sin, 
Numb, xxxiii, 12, 13. Probably it was at the mouth of Wady Feirdn. 

Dor, (Map 5,) a dwelling, an ancient royal city of the Canaanites, Josh. 
xi, 2; xii, 23, and probably the most southern settlement of the Phoenicians 
on the Syrian coast. It seems to have been within the territory of Asher, 
though allotted to Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 11 ; Judges i, 27. The original in- 
habitants were not expelled, but it became one of Solomon's commissariat 
departments, 1 Kings iv, 11. It was beseiged and captured by Antiochus 
Bidetes, 1 Mace, xv, 11, 13, 25, (under the name of Dora.) Its site is iden- 
tified with the modern village of Tantura, a collection of wretched huts, 
(wholly constructed of ancient materials,) about nine miles north of Caesarea. 

Dora, 1 Mace, xv, 11, 13, 25. See Dor. 

Do'thaim, Judith iv, 6; vii, 3, 18; viii, 3; the Greek form of Dothan 

Do'than, (Map 5,) two cisterns, a place at the southern edge of the plain 
cf Esdraelon, about twelve miles north of Samaria. Here Joseph found his 
brethren, Gen. xxxvii, 17. It is mentioned as the residence of Elisha, and 
the scene of a vision of horses and chariots of tire, and where the Syrians 
were strvick with blindness, 2 Kings vi, 13-19. The site is identified with 
the place still known as Dothan, about five miles south-west of Jenin. The 
great road for caravans from Gilead to Egypt passes near Dothan, Gen. 
xxxiii, 25-28. 



104 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Dumah, (Map 12,) silence. 1. An Ishmaelite place or people in Arabia, 
(Isa. xxi, 11,) probably so called from the son of Ishmael, whose descendants 
inhabited that locality, Gen. xxv, 14; 1 Chron. i, 30. The name probably 
survives in Doomat el-Jtndel, ("Dumah of the Stones,") a town in the north- 
western part of the peninsula of Arabia. 

2. A town in the mountainous district of Judah, Josh, xv, 42. Ruins 
exist at a place now called Ed-Daumeh, six miles south-west of Hebron, 
which probably mark the site of Dumah. 

Dung-Gate, (Map 7.) See Jerusalem. 

Du'ra, circle, the plain in the district of Babylon where Nebuchadnezzar 
set up his golden image, Dan. iii, 1. M. Oppert places the plain (or, as ho 
calls it, the " valley ") of Dura, to the south-east of Babylon, in the vicinity 
of the mound of Dowair or Duair. He has discovered on this site the 
pedestal of a colossal statue, and regards the modern name as a corruption 
of the ancient appellation. 

East Country. Gen. xxv, 6. Mesopotamia. 

East Sea. Numb, xxxiv, 3 ; Ezek. xlvii, 18 ; Joel ii, 20 ; Zech. xiv, 8, 
margin. The Dead Sea. See Sea. 

Ebal, Mount, (Map 5,) mountain of stone, stony. [Grove says that the 
name Ebal may, perhaps, like Gerizim, have been derived from an ancient 
tribe of wanderers — Ebal, son of Shobal, Gen. xxxvi, 23.] A mountain in 
Palestine opposite Mount Gerizim, in the northern part of Ephraim, on the 
northern side of the valley of Shechem, Deut. xi, 29 ; xxvii, 4, 13; Josh, viii, 
30, 35. Here was built the first altar erected after the Israelites entered 
the Promised Land. In the valley between Ebal and Gerizim lies Shechem, 
the modern Nablus. In Josh, viii, 30-35, we have the account of the curses 
upon transgressors uttered by half the tribes of Israel standing on Ebal, 
while the other tribes, standing on Gerizim, pronounced blessings on the 
people. That the voice is audible from one of these mountains to the other 
has frequently been proved by actual experiment ; the valley at the eastern 
end being not more than sixty rods wide. Ebal rises about 2,700 feet above 
the level of the sea, Gerizim 2,600. As the city of Nablas is 1,672 feet 
above the sea level, Gerizim rises above the city 928 feet, Ebal 1,028. Ebal 
is not more barren than the other mountain, although the contrary has been 
maintained by some, owing, probably, to an opinion in regard to the cursing 
above mentioned. Ruins have been found, and, although the mountain has 
not been fully explored, there is evidence that many more may be yet dis- 
covered. The modern name of Ebal is Sitti Salamiyah, from a Mohammedan 
female saint, whose tomb is standing on the eastern part of the ridge, a 
little before the highest point is reached. Some report the name as Imdd-td- 
Dtcn, " the pillar of the religion." This name may come from Amdd, the 
name of another saint's tomb which is shown the traveler. See Gerizim. 

Eb'en-E'zer, stone of help, a memorial set up by Samuel to mark his 
victory over'the Philistines, 1 Sam. iv, 1; v, 1; vii, 12. Its position is care- 
fully defined as between Mizpah — "the watch-tower," one of the conspicu- 
ous eminences a few miles north of Jerusalem — and Shen, "the tooth" or 
" crag." Neither point has been identified with certainty — the latter, indeed, 
not at all. 

Ebro'nah, (Map 2,) passage of the sea, a station of the Israelites near 
Ezion-Geber on the Elanitic gulf, Num. xxxiii, 34, 35. Not known. 




G.VW 4 C 8 COLTOH 1 Co.Ni\*>ORt< 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 107 

Ecbat'ana, (Maps 1, 14.) This word occurs in the margin of Ezra vi, 2 ; 
Achmetha being the word used in the text. Its derivation is uncertain. 
Rawlinson has left little doubt that the title was applied exclusively to cities 
having a fortress for the protection of the royal treasures. 

1. There were two cities of this name, Ecbatana, the capital of Media 
Magna, the summer residence of the Persian kings, from Darius Hystaspis, 
and later of the Parthian monarchs, 2 Mace, ix, 3. This place, situated on 
the northern rlank of the great mountain called formerly Orontes, and now 
Elwend, was, perhaps, as ancient as the other city, and is far better known 
in history. It is now known by the name of Ramadan, and is one of the 
most important cities of modern Persia, with a population of from 20,000 to 
30,000 souls. 

2. The northern city, the capital of Northern Media, or Media Atropatene. 
By the Greeks and Romans it appears to have been known as Gaza, Gazaca, 
or Canzaca, the "treasure city;" by the Orientals it was termed S/iiz. 
"When Ecbatana is mentioned, there is generally some difficulty in determin- 
ing whether the northern or the southern metropolis is intended. Pew 
writers are aware of the existence of the two cities, and they lie sufficiently 
near to one another for geographical notices, in most cases, to suit either 
site. The northern city was the " seven-walled town " described by Herod- 
otus, and declared by him to have been the capital of Cyrus; and it was 
thus most probably there that the roll was found which proved to Darius 
that Cyrus had really made a decree allowing the Jews to rebuild their 
temple, Ezra vi, 2. In Tob. iii, 7; xiv, 12, 14; Judith i, 1, 2, the reference 
is probably to this city. It continued an important place down to the Mogul 
conquests in the thirteenth century after Christ, and sank ultimately, two 
or three centuries later, into complete ruin. The present remains are upon 
and around a conical hill about 150 feet above the contiguous plain. One 
wall, just at the brow of this hill, may be readily traced, enclosing an oval 
space of 800 yards by 400. There are no vestiges of other encircling walls. 
The site of the city is now known by the name of Takht i-Suleiman. 

Ed, witness, a word inserted in the authorized version of Josh, xxii, 34. 
It is found in some MSS., but is not in the generally received Hebrew text. 
It is the name of the altar erected by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half- 
Manasseh, on the borders of Jordan in Gilead, to witness that they belonged 
to Israel, although their possessions were separated from those of the other 
tribes by the Jordan. 

E'dar, Tower of, tower of a flock, a place named only in Gen. xxxv, 21 
It was Jacob's first halting place between Bethlehem and Hebron. Jerome 
located it at one thousand paces from Bethlehem. Its site is unknown. 

E den, (Map 1,) pleasure, delight, mist-rising, or, the " Garden of Eden," the 
Bible name of the home of Adam and Eve before their fall, Gen. ii, 8, 15. 
The LXX., following the Chaldee, calls it "Paradise," a park, pleasure-gar 'dm. 
or onhard of pleasure and fruits, Neh. ii, 8 ; Sol. Song iv, 13 ; Eccles. ii, 5. The 
record is, (Gen. ii, 8,) " The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden." 
The boundaries both of Eden and of the garden are entirely indefinite. 
Many theories have been advanced as to the locality of Eden. The dimen- 
sions of the garden have been by some writers confined to a circumference 
of thirty-six or forty miles. Some have made Eden extend over Syria, 
Arabia, and Mesopotamia. Bush thinks that Eden must have included " the 
fairest portions of Asia, besides a part of Africa; . . . Cabul. Persia, Armenia, 



103 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Kurdistan, Syria, Arabia, Abyssinia, and Egypt." Ephraem Syrus held that 
it surrounded the whcle earth. But all this is mere conjecture. Says 
Wright, of Trinity College: "The site of Eden will ever rank, with the 
quadrature of the circle and the interpretation of unfulfilled prophecy, among 
those unsolved and perhaps insoluble problems which possess so strange a 
fascination." 

The most commonly received conjecture seems to be that which makes 
the garden, or a part of Eden, to be the country through which flow the 
rivers Euphrates and Tigris, and which claims that the bounds of Eden were 
by no means narrow. The Hon. I. S. Diehl, who has traversed this whole 
region, gives us some verjr strong reasons for locating the "garden" about 
one hundred miles above the confluence of these two rivers, where the 
Euphrates, Tigris, and Kerkhan (the ancient Choaspes) unite within a few- 
hundred yards of each other, and form the Shatt-el-Arab, or " river of the 
Arabs; " while about sixty miles below the river Kliaroun flows in from the 
east, making "four" important rivers. All along the banks of the Shatt-el- 
Arab for many miles are numerous gardens and groves of the date-tree. 
The fruit of this tree constitutes the chief article of food of the natives, from 
which they make some thirty-five different dishes. This fruit is claimed by 
the natives to have been the identical food of which Adam and Eve did eat 
in the garden ; while the words Eden and Paradise are still used to designate 
these beautiful fruit gardens. A little north of Bussorah is a date grove 
which pilgrims annuaUy visit as the traditional Paradise. During the year 
1869 bricks from Birs Nimroud (the supposed Babel) were found, on which 
are inscriptions which locate the garden of Eden in the tract of country lying 
between the Persian Gulf and Babylon. 

Some authorities locate Eden in Armenia, in the region around Lake Van. 
This theory seems to us untenable, from the fact that no river flows into 
Lake Van ; and from its altitude and its exceedingly rigorous climate this 
region would appear entirely unsuitable to have been the "cradle of the 
human race," or Eden. After all, we must conclude with the author above 
quoted, Mr. Wright, that, " as every expression of opinion results in a con- 
fession of ignorance, it will be more honest to acknowledge the difficulty 
than to rest satisfied with a fictitious solution." We would refer the reader 
for a more extended discussion to Kitto's, Smith's, Herzog's, and McClintock 
and Strong's Bible Cyclopedias ; and especially to Lange's Commentary on 
Genesis. 

Eden, pleasantness. A region whose inhabitants had been subdued by 
the Assyrians, 2 Kings xix, 12 ; Isa. xxxvii, 12. They had commercial inter- 
course with Tyre, Ezek. xxvii, 23. Probability locates this region some- 
where in the north-west of Mesopotamia. 

Eden, The House of, house of pleasure, Amos i, 5. See Beth-Eden. 

E'der, flock, a town of Judah in the extreme south, on the borders of 
Edom, Josh, xv, 21. Not known. Schwarz suggests that it may be identi- 
cal with Arad by a transposition of letters. 

Edom, (Maps 2, S,) red, called also in the Greek form Idumea. The 
name p]dom was given to Esau, the first-born son of Isaac, when he sold nis 
birthright to his twin brother Jacob for a meal of lentile pottage. The pecu- 
liar red color of this pottage gave rise to the name Edom. The country after- 
ward given to Esau was called the "field of Edom," Gen. xxxii, 3, or "land 
of Edom," Gen xxxvi, 6; Num. xxxiii, 37. Edom was previously called 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 109 

Mount Seir, that is rugged, bristly, Gen. xxxii, 3; xxxvi, 8, froir Seir the pro- 
genitor of the Horites, Gen. xiv, 6; xxxvi, 20-22. The original inhabitants 
of the country were called Horites from Hori the grandson of Seir, Gen. 
xxxvi, 20-22, because that name was descriptive of their habits as "dwellers 
in caves." Esau's eldest son, Eliphaz, was father to Amalek, the progenitor 
of the Amalekites. 

On the death of Isaac, Esau left Canaan and occupied Mount Seir, Gen. 
xxxv, 28; xxxvi, 6. 7, 8. The descendants of Esau rapidly multiplied, and 
soon they extirpated the Horites, and adopted their habits as well as their 
country. Deut. ii, 12; Jer. xlix, 16; Obad. 3, 4. 

The country of Edom is the southern continuation of the East Jordan 
table-land, extending from the southern extremity of the Dead Sea to the 
north of the Elanitic Gulf, where was situated Elath. the sea-port of the 
Edomites. It is wholly a mountainous country, called "Mount Seir," "the 
Mount of Esau," Gen. xiv, 6; xxxvi, 8, 9; Deut. i, 2; ii, 1, 5; Obad. 8, 9, 
19, 21. Josephus and later writers call it Gebalene, "the mountainous." 
It extends along the east side of the great valley of Arabah, embracing a 
narrow tract of about one hundred miles long by twentj 7 broad. Its highest 
mountains rive about three- thousand feet; the best known of which is Hor, 
in the vicinity of Petra, on which Aaron died. Generally the mountain 
range is bare, especially the western portion; but between the rocky clefts 
lie valleys with fruitful meadows, fields, and vineyards, and forests are not 
wanting. The air is pure, the heat is moderated by the cool wind, and 
the whole region is quite healthy. Eor towns of Edom see Bozrah, Elath, 
Ezion-Geber, Petra, Selah. For mountains see Halak, Hor, Seir. 

The government of Edom wan a union of tribes under dukes, Gen. xxxvi, 
15-19, which must early have centralized into a kingdom, since in Genesis 
xxxvi, 31, already eight succeeding kings are mentioned, who were doubt- 
less elective. The Edomites were warlike, and had a mighty bulwark in 
their naturally fortified mountain home. They had many gods, 2 Chron. xxv, 
14. The prophecies of Isaac (Gen. xxvii, 29; xxxix ; xl) are remarkably ful- 
filled in the later history of the Edomites. Already, in the time of Moses, 
they conducted themselves in an unbrotherly way toward Israel, in denying 
to them a free passage through their country, Num. xx, 15, etc.; xxi, 4; 
Deut. ii, 4, etc. The Israelites were strictly forbidden to oppose the Edom- 
ites, Deut. ii, 5 ; xxiii, 7 ; but after their more decided hostility to Israel 
this prohibition was removed. They were received into the congregation at 
the third generation, Deut. xxiii, 8. They were defeated by Saul, 1 Sain, 
xiv, 47 ; and subdued by David, 2 Sam. vhi, 14; 1 Kings xi, 1G, 1 Chron. viii, 
11-13 ; Psa. lx, (title;) Psa. cviii, 9. In the harbors of Edom Solomon equipped 
a considerable fleet, 1 Kings ix, 26. Hadad, of the seed royal, tied to Egypt, 
1 Kings xi,' 14-22, 25. 

Edom was put under a regent, 1 Kings xxii, 47 ; Jehoshaphat defeated the 
tribe, 2 Chron. xx, 22. They joined him in war with Moab, 2 Kings iii, 9, 26. 
They revolted against Joram, and were defeated, 2 Kings viii, 20-22 ; 2 Chron. 
xxi, 8-10. They were also defeated by Amaziah, 2 Kings xiv, 7, 10; 2 Chron. 
xxv, 11, 12. They invaded Judah, 2 Chron. xxviii, 17. Edom aided Babylon 
against Israel, Ezek. xxxv, 5; Amos i, 9, 11; Obad. 11-16. Their hatred to 
Israel was intense, Psa. cxxxvii, 7. Ezek. xxv, 12-14; xxxv, 3-10. The 
Edomites rejoiced greatly over the fall oi* Judah, and voluntarily joined the 
Chaldean conquerors. 



110 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Against Edom the prophets spoke with special fervor, Joel iii, 24; Amos 
i, 11; Isa. xi, 14; xxxiv, 5, sq. ; Obad. ; Jer. ix, 25; xxv, 21; xxvii; Ezek. 
xxv, 12 ; xxxii, 29 ; xxxvi, 5 ; Mai. i, 2. The Jews being carried captives to 
Babylon, the Edomites took easy possession of the country south of Pales- 
tine, including Hebron, Ezek. xxxv, 10; 1 Mace, v, 65. Also during the 
Syrian supremacy they manifested their old hatred toward the Jews, 1 Mace. 
v, 3, 65 ; 2 Mace, x, 15 ; xii, 32 ; until, subjugated by John Hyrcanus, they were 
compelled by him to receive circumcision, and were incorporated into the 
Jewish state. But a fresh triumph awaited Edom. The crafty Idumean, 
Antipater, obtained the reins of government, and was after a while made by 
Csesar procurator of Judea, while Hyrcanus only had the priesthood. 

In the 3'ear 40 Herod the Great, son of Antipater, was even proclaimed 
king of Judea by the Roman Senate. After this the Jewish kingdom, with 
a brief interregnum of Roman governors, was under the rule of Herodian 
princes. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus, 
the names Idumean and Idumea disappear from history. The country from 
this time was included in the comprehensive name Arabia. 

Under the withering influence of Mohammedan ride the great cities fell to 
ruin, and the country became a desert. God used the followers of the false 
prophet to fulfill the terrible words of prophecy : " Mount Seir, I am 
against thee. ... I will lay thy cities waste, and when the whole earth 
rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. ... I will make thee perpetual desola- 
tions, and thy cities shall not return, and ye shall know that I am the 
Lord," Ezek. xxxv. 

The Crusaders made several expeditions into Edom. They built a strong 
fortress called Mons Regalis, now SJiobek, on a commanding height twelve 
miles north of Petra. Edom remained unknown from that time till the year 
1812, when Buckhardt entered it from the north, and, passing through it, 
discovered the wonderful ruins of Petra. See Sela. 

In 1828, Laborde, proceeding northward from Akabah also visited Petra, 
and brought away a portfolio of splendid drawings, which proved that the 
descriptions of Buckhardt had not been exaggerated. A trip to Petra now 
forms a necessary part of the eastern traveler's grand tour. 

E'domites, Gen. xxxvi, 9, 43; 2 Kings viii, 21 ; 1 Chron. xviii, 12, 13, 
2 Chron. xxi, 8, 9, 10; xxv, 19; 1 Kings xi, 17; 2 Chron. xxv, 14; xxviii, 
17 ; 1 Kings xi, 1. The descendants of Esau or Edom. See Edom. 

Ed'rei, (Map 5,) strength, stronghold. 1. One of the two capital cities of 
Bashan, mentioned in connection with the victory gained by the Israelites over 
the Amorites under Og, Num. xxi, 33; Deut. i, 4; iii, 10; Josh, xii, 4. It was 
in the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh, beyond the Jordan, Num. xxxii, 
33. No allusion is made to it in the subsequent Bible history, although it was 
an important city down to the seventh century of our era. Its ruins bear 
the name Edr'a, and are found on a rocky promontory which projects from 
the south-west corner of the Lejah. These ruins are nearly three miles in 
circuit, having a strange wild look, rising up in black shattered masses 
from the midst of a wilderness of black rocks. A number of the old 
houses remain, being low, massive, gloomy, and some of them half-buried 
beneath heaps of rubbish. Here a few families make what they call their 
borne. These houses are probably as old as the time of Roman dominion. 
See Porter's Handbook for Syria and Palestine ; also Porter's Five Years in 
Damascus. 




THK PYRAMIDS. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 113 

2. A town in Naphtali, near to Kedesh, Josh, xix, 17. About two miles 
south of Kedesh is a conical rocky hill called Tell Khuraibeh, the " Tell of 
the ruin,'' with remains of old buildings, and a rock-hewn toinb. Porter 
says this may be the site of the long-lost Edrei. 

Eg'laim, two j>onds, or pools, a place named in Isa. xv, 8, as apparently 
one of the most remote points on the boundary of Moab. Possibly the 
same ns Kn-Kglaim. Mr. Grove says: "With most of the places on the 
east of the Dead Sea, Eglaim yet awaits further research for its identifi- 
cation." 

Eg Ion, (Map 5,) pertaining to a calf, a town of the Amorites in tho 
low country. It was about thirty-four miles south-west of Jerusalem, and 
was formerly Amorite, and its king was Debir, Josh, x, 3-5. For the over- 
throw of a confederacy which included Eglon, see Josh, x, 23-25 ; xxxiv, 
35 ; xii, 12. It was afterward allotted to Judah, Josh, xv, 39. The site 
is doubtless that of modern 'Ajlan, a shapless mass of ruins, about ten 
miles from Beit Jibrin, (Eleutheropolis,) and fourteen from Gaza. 

E'gypt, (Maps 1, 2, 12.) 

Names. Among the Hebrews the proper name was Masor, (Isa. xix, 6,) 
more frequently in the dual Mitsraim; or, more fully, " the land of Mizraim ;" 
in Greek, Mestre, or Mestraia. In Homer Aiguptos is used, both of the river 
and the adjacent country. Some have derived the word from a Shemitic 
root ; others from a Sanscrit. But since it is found only among the Greeks 
and those nations who obtained it from them, its Greek origin seems to be 
certain. The Coptic name, both Theban and Memphitic, is Kerne, or Kem, 
(probably pronounced Chem,) and, with the hieroglyphic designation, means 
black. The name of the country was not derived from the color of the 
people, which was red, but from that of the soil, which formed a strong 
contrast with the adjacent countries. In Psa. cv, 23, 27, we have "the 
land of Ham," (see also lxxviii, 51,) probably referring to Ham the son of 
Noah. Ham signifies warmth or darkness. In Isa. xi, 11, it is called Path- 
ros; in Psa. lxxxvii, 4, Rahab. The Arabian name is masr, v/rbs, urbs 
magna ; and Cairo, the present capital, El Masr, and the country Barr Masr, 
the land of -Masr. The dual Mizraim can only refer to its division into 
Upper and Lower Egypt, and not to the two shores of the river; for Kgypt 
was in all times regarded by its inhabitants as a kingdom consisting of two 
parts, and it is thus described in the hieroglyphics. And this division was 
not a political one, but rested on an original difference of religion, language, 
and customs of their population. That Masr was in Asia generally the 
name of Egypt, is now evident from the cuneiform inscriptions. In the 
Persian, it was M'udraya, or Mudardya ; in the Median, Mutsariga ; the 
Babylonian, Misir ; the Assyrian, Musri. 

As to the first of the above list, Misraim, perhaps it was originally used 
not of the country, but of the chief city, and afterward spread as a proper 
name further northward. Various significations are given : borders, limits, 
who is straightened, or blocked up. The modern Arabian name is said to 
mean a limit, red earth, or mud. (See Cyclopedias of Ilerzog, and Smith.) 

Perhaps " we may with much probability conclude that the names given 
to this country imply dark — sufficiently appropriate to its black alluvial soiL 
striking enough after the crops have been gathered in, before the Nile has 
again covered the surface with its fertilizing Mood." — Ayre. 

Situation. Egypt extends from the Mediterranean to the cataracts 



114 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of the Assouan, "from Migdol to Syene, ' Ezek. xxix, 10; xxx, 6, maig., 
and on the east and west it is bounded by the Arabian and Libyan deserts. 
Upper Egypt, however, seems really to have comprised nothing more than 
the narrow winding valley of the Nile, limited on each side by limestone 
and sandstone hills, which near the river are of no great height, but which, 
in the eastern desert, are much more lofty ; some peaks, as the Jtbel- Gha- 
rib, rising to 6,000 feet. But Lower Egypt is for the most part a vast fer- 
tile plain. The Nile divides into several streams, forming a great triangle, 
of which the limits were the ancient Canopic and Pelusiac branches. Tho 
others were the Bolbitine, originally a canal, still open at Rosetta ; the Sel- 
benitic, lost in the lake Bourlos; the Phatnitic or Bucolic, open at Damietta, 
being the eastern extremity of the modern Delta ; the Mendesian, and tho 
Tanitic or Saitic. The last two, with the Pelusiac, are absorbed by an 
extensive lagoon. In early times cultivation reached farther eastward; 
thus there was a fruitful valley along the canal of the Red Sea. This, the 
Wady et-Tumeylat, is now a sandy wilderness. The principal connection 
between Egypt and the civilized nations of the North was from Palestine 
along the coast of the sea toward Pelusium. Along this road the " river 
of Egypt" (Num. xxxiv, 5; Josh, xv, 4, 47) forms the boundary between 
Egypt and Palestine. For a long period, however, the Pharaohs also ruled 
over a large part of Ethiopia and the peninsula of Sinai. 

Bible Allusions. Fertility and productions of Egypt, Gen. xiii, 10 ; 
Num. xi, 5 ; Josh, xix, 5-9. Peopled by descendants of Mizraim, Gen. x, 
6, 13, 14. Boundaries of, Josh, xv, 4; 2 Kings xxiv, 7; Isa. xxvii, 12; 
Ezek. xxix, 10. Irrigation of, Dent, xi, 10. Commerce, Gen. xxxvii, 25, 
36; 1 Kings x, 28, 29; Ezek. xxvii, 7. Armies, Exod. xiv, 7: Isa. xxxi, 1. 
The Magi — their learning, Gen. xli, 8 ; Exod. vii, 1 1 ; 1 Kings iv, 30 ; Acts 
vii, 22. Priests of, Gen. xli, 45; xlvii, 42. The king's property in the land, 
Gem xlvii, 18-26. Embalming practiced, Gen. 1, 3. Shepherds abhorred, 
Gen. xlvi, 34 ; and sacrifice of cattle, Exod. viii, 26. P]gyptians would not 
eat with Hebrews, Gen. xliii, 32. Not to be hated by Israelites ; to be 
received into the congregation in the third generation, Dent, xxiii, 7, 8. 
Israelites forbidden alliance with, Isa. xxx, 2 : xxxi, 1 ; xxxvi, 6 ; Ezek. xvii, 
15 ; xxix, 6. Other interesting allusions, Psa. lxxviii, 12 ; lxxxi, 5 ; Zech. 
X, 10; Heb. viii, 9; Jude 5; Hag. ii, 5; Heb. iii, 16. 

Prophecies concerning, Gen. xv, 13, 14; Isa. xix; xx, 2-6; xlv, 14; Jer. 
ix, 25, 26; xliii, 8-13 ; xliv, 30; xlvi; Ezek. xxix-xxxii ; Joel iii, 19; Zech. 
x, ii. 

Towns and districts of, Ezek. xxx, 13-18. 

Bible Events. The chief events in connection with Egypt are found 
ill Genesis from chapter xxvii to the end of the book, and in the first fourteen 
chapters of the book of Exodus. In Matt, ii, 13-20, we have tne accounts 
of the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. 

Much light would be thrown on these Bible narratives by an account of 
Egyptian institutions, religious rites, manners, customs, laws, etc. ; but our 
space -does not permit it. We may only say here that the ianguage of 
ancient Egypt is preserved in the monumental inscriptions which are 
found in the hieroglyphic mode of writing. These hieroglyphics it was foi 
a long time impossible to decipher ; but the first step was taken by means 
of the famous Rosetta Stone, now in the British Museum, on which were 
three copies of, as it was presumed, the same inscription. One of these 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 117 

was in Greek. A key -was therefore obtained to the others; and scholars 
have since done much to unravel the ancient records. 

Present Condition, etc. "We have already referred the student to 
the prophecies concerning this country. These have been literally fulfilled, 
God's judgments have fallen on the land, and the glory of Egypt has long 
since departed. 

Eg} r pt is now a fief, under hereditary rulers, viceroys, of the Turkish Em- 
pire. The houses of the wealthier classes in the chief towns are roomy, 
and substantially built; but the dwellings of the lower orders are many 
of them but hovels, built of unbaked bricks cemented with mud. The vil- 
lages stand upon eminences of rubbish, the materials of older buildings, 
and are thus just above the reach of the inundations. The whole land is 
crowded with relics of antiquity. The pyramids, the temples, the tombs, 
epeak of a grandeur that has passed away, and these will always attract 
the curiosity and admiration of the world. The habits of the modern 
inhabitants illustrate in many respects the narratives of Scripture. 

See Alexandria, Aven, Baal-Zepiion, Goshen, Memphis, Migdol, No, 
Nopii, On, Pathros, Pitiiom, Rameses, Succotii, Tahpanhes, Zoan. 

Egypt, River of, Map 2, (that is, torrent of Mitzraim.) See River op 
Egypt. 

Egyp'tian, Egyp'tians, (that is, Mitzraim, Egypt,) Gen. xliii, 32 ; xlv, 2 ; 
xlvi, 34, and in many other places. A native or natives of Egypt. In Acts 
xxi, 38, the person so called was no doubt the pretended prophet who 
posted himself on Olivet, and declared that the walls of Jerusalem would 
fall down at his word. Felix, however, set upon him, and defeated his fol- 
lowers, while he fled and disappeared. 

Ek'rebel, Judith vii, 18 ; " near to Chusi, which is on the brook Moch- 
mur." Probably now Akrabih, about six miles south-east of Nablus in the 
Wddtj Makfariyeh, on the road to the Jordan valley. * 

Ek'ron, (Map 5.) eradication, emigration, the most northerly of the five 
cities of the Philistines, Josh, xiii, 3. In Mace, x, 89, it is called Accaron. 
It was assigned at first to Judah, Josh, xv, 11, 45, 46; Judg. i, 18; after- 
ward to Dan, xix, 43. It was once taken by Judah, but was always a 
Philistine place, 1 Sam. v, 10; vi, 17. From Ekron the ark was sent to 
Israel, 1 Sam. vi, 8. Here was a temple of Baal-Zebub, 2 Kings i, 2, 3, 6, 
16. Several of the prophets refer to Ekron, Jer. xxv, 20; Amos i, 8; 
Zeph. ii, 4; Zech. ix, 5, 7. It is now Wkir, five miles south-west of Ram- 
leh ; contains about fifty mud houses, without a single remnant of antiq- 
uity, except two large wells. 

Ek'ronites, inhabitants of Ekron, Josh, xii, 3: 1 Sam. v. 10. 

E la, 1 Esdras ix, 27, a form of Elam, Ezra x, 27. 

E lah, Valley of, (Map 5,) valley of the Terebinth, the valley in which 
David slew Goliath, 1 Sam. xvii, 2, 19; xxi, 9. It is identified now with the 
Wady es-Sumt, or "Acacia Yalley," close by Suioeikeh, the ancient Shocah, 
which stands on its southern slope, and is about fourteen miles south-west 
of Jerusalem, on the road to Gaza, and about twelve from Bethlehem. At 
the junction of es-Sumt with two other wadys there is an open space, about 
a mile wide, with a torrent-bed in the center, strewed with round pebbles, 
and fringed with acacia bushes. Terebinths also still abouud. 

E'lam, (Map 1,) age, eternity, called Cissia by Herodotus, and by the Greek 
and Roman geographers Susiana. A country east of Palostine, Gen. xiv, 1, 9 ; 

b 



118 iilBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Isa. xi, 11; peopled by descendants of the sons of Shem, Gen. x, 2'2. The 
boundaries of Elam are indefinite. It was a province of Persia, in which 
was the capital Susa, Ezra iv, 9 ; Dan. viii. 2. In Greek writers Elymais 
(Elam) is the province adjacent to Susiana and Media, on the east of Baby- 
lonia. In Daniel it seems to include Susiana. The term Elam was at one 
time used for the whole land of Persia : and it may be here remarked thit 
the word Persia is not found in the Old Testament until the captivity, when 
the Persian supremacy was commencing. Elam appears as an independent 
power, Gen. xiv, 1-11. Its independence was in great measure maintained 
during the Assyrian and Babylonian dominion, but Elamite troops marched 
under the banner of Sennacherib, Isa. xxii, 6; and ultimately Elam was a 
province of Babylon, Dan, viii, 1, 2, in fulfillment, as Rawlinson supposes, 
of the prophecies Jer. xlix, 34-38; Ezek. xxx, 24, 25. Elam is spoken of as 
supplying part of the army which captured Babylon, Isa. xxi, 2. Captive 
Israelites were in Elam; their return is predicted, Isa. xi, 11. Elamites were 
placed in the cities of Samaria, Ezra iv, 9. Jews were still resident there in 
the apostolic age, Acts ii, 9. 

Elamites, Ezra iv, 9, the original inhabitants of Elam. In Judith i, 6, 
the Greek form occurs, Elymceans. There were Elamites in Jerusalem on 
the day of Pentecost, Acts ii, 9. 

E lath, E'loth, (Map 4,) trees, terebinths, a grove, perhaps a palm grove. 
A town in Edom at the extremity of the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, first 
mentioned in the accounts of the wandering in the wilderness, Deut. ii, 8. 
David captured it with Edom, 2 Sam. viii, 14; and it is named in connection 
with Solomon's navy at the neighboring port of Ezion-Geber, 1 Kings ix, 26 ; 
2 Chron. viii, 1 7. When Edom revolted it was lost, but was recovered by 
Uzziah, 2 Kings xiv, 22 ; and it was finally arrested from Judah by Rezin, 
King of Syria, who expelled all the Jewish inhabitants, xvi, 6. By the 
Greeks and Romans it was called Elana, or ^lana, and hence gave name to 
the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, called the Elanitic Gulf, at present the Gulf 
ofAkabah. (Map 2.) It is now an insignificant place called Eyleh. 

El-Beth' el, God of the House of God. The LXX. omit the " El ; " so also 
Vulgate, Domus Dei. Jacob is said to have given this name to the place ?*t 
which God appeared to him while he was fleeing from Esau, Gen. xxxv, 7. 
Probably it was the altar which Jacob so named; compare Gen. xxxiii, 20. 
See Beth-el. 

Elea'leh, whither God ascends, a city east of Jordan, allotted to the Reu- 
benites, and which they built or fortified, Num. xxxii, 3, 37. Afterward it 
was possessed by Moab, Isa. xv, 4; xvi, 9; Jer. xlviii, 34. Its ruins are 
now called el-A'al, close to Heshbon. 

Ele'asa, the site of the encampment of Judas Maccabasus before his last 
battle, 1 Mace, ix, 5. Perhaps it is the same as Adasa and Hadashah. 

El-Elo'he-Is'rael, Almighty, God of Israel, the name given by Jacob to 
the altar built by him near Shechem, on the ground where he pitched his 
tent, and which he afterward bought, Gen. xxxiii, 18-20. 

E'leph, the ox, a city of Benjamin, Josh, xvin, 28. It may possibly be the 
ruined site marked Katamon on Van de Velde's " Map of the Environs of 
Jerusalem," about one mile south-west of Jerusalem. 

Eleutherop'olis, the free city. The original name was Betogabra. This 
city is not named in Scripture. Eusebius first mentions it, and in his time 
it was the capital of a large province. It is about twenty-five miles from 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 119 

Jerusalem on the road to Gaza. It was the seat of a bishop, and so well 
known was it, that it was made the central point in Southern Palestine from 
which the position of more tlian twenty other towns was determined. Its 
present name is Beit Jibrin. It contains some fifty or sixty houses. Ruins 
of considerable extent exist. 

Eleu'therus, the river, the northern boundary of the Holy Land, 1 Mace;, 
xi, 7 ; xii, 30. It is now called the Kahr el-Kebir, north of Tarubulus (Tripolis). 

Elim, (Map 2,) trees, perhaps palm-trees, the second station of Israel after 
crossing the Red Sea, noted for twelve springs and seveuty palm-trees, Exod. 
xv, 27; Num. xxxiii, 9. Prom the mountain range et-Tlh several valleys 
descend toward the sea. Elim is doubtless one of them, but which oue is 
uncertain. Stanley says: "Elim must be [T-FarfyJ Gharandel, Useit, or 
Taiyebeh." Trees and shrubs, including wild palms, are said to abound in 
this vicinity. Palmer inclines to Gharandel. 

Eli'shah, (Map 12,) (meaning uncertain — some proposing to adopt it from 
Elis or Utllas). The name of a maritime people descended from one of the 
sons of Javan, Gen. x, 4; 1 Chron. i, 7. In Ezek. xxvii, 7, the "isles of 
Elishah," maritime regions, are mentioned. The most probable conjecture 
makes this people possibly identified with the ./Eolians, who in early times 
were settled in various parts of Greece, Thessaly, Boeotia, ^tolia, Locris, 
Elis, and Messenia. From Greece they emigrated to Asia Minor, and in 
Ezekiel's age occupied the north-west of that country, named after them 
^Eolis, together with the islands Lesbos and Tenedos. 

El'kosh, God my bow. The birthplace of the prophet Nahum, Nab. i, 1. 
Grove says that this place, which is usually identified with Allcush, two 
miles north of Mosul, in Assyria, is "more properly somewhere in Galilee." 
Wright, of Trinity College, says: "The tradition which assigns Elkosh to 
Galilee is more in accordance with the internal evidence afforded by the 
prophecy, which gives no sign of having been written in Assyria." 

Eflasar, the oak or heap of Assyria, the country of which Arioch was 
king, Gen. xiv, 1, 9. Some confound it with Thelasar, 2 Kings xix, 12. 
The weight of authority makes it more probably Larsa or Larissa in Lower 
Babylonia. It is now called Sen/cereh, on the left bank of the Euphrates. 
Inscriptions found here show the place to have been more ancient than even 
Babylon. 

E Ion, an oak, a town in Dan, Josh, xix, 43. Perhaps it is identical with 

E'lon-Beth-Ha'nan, oak of the house of grace, 1 Kings iv, 9. One of the 
places over which Solomon placed a commissariat office. The modern Beit- 
Susin may possibly mark the site. This is a small village looking old and 
miserable, about half way between the sites of Nicopolis and Zorah. 

E'lonites. Descendants of Elon, a family of Zebulun, Num. xxvi, 26. 

E'loth. 1 Ivings ix, 26; 2 Kings xvi, 6, margin, 2 Chron. viii, 17; xx\i, 
2. See Klatii. 

El-Fa'ran, the oak of Paran. Possibly a tree in the wilderness of Paran, 
south of the Holy Land, Gen. xiv, 6. Not known. See Pakan. 

El'tekeh, God its fear, a place in Dan, Josh, xix, 44, allotted to the 
Kohathite Levites, xxi, 23. Possibly the site may be represented by El~ 
Mansurah, a small and miserable village in the plain between Ranileh and 
Akir. 

El'tekon, God its foundation, a town in the mountains of Judah, Josh, 
xv, 59. The modern Beit-Sahur el-Atikah, a little south-east of Jerusalem, 
may possibly mark the site. 



120 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Elto'lad, or El'tolad, God its generation, or born of God, (Eiirat says, 
whose God is Hylitia,) a town in the extreme south of Judah, Josh, xv, 30, 
allotted to Simeon, xix, 4. Identical with Tolad, 1 Chron. iv, 29. The 
ruined site, Tell- Mela ha, may possibly mark the spot. It lies along the north 
branch of Wady Sheriah, which empties into the Mediterranean a little south 
of Gaza. 

Elyma'is, the Greek form of the name Elam, Tobit ii, 10 ; 1 Mace, vj, 1. 
See Elam. 

Elyme'ans, Judith i, 6. The Elamites. 

E'mim, (Map 3,) terrors, terrible men, a tribe of gigantic stature which 
originally inhabited the region along the eastern side of the Dead Sea. 
From a comparison of Gen. xiv, 5-7 with Deut. ii, 10-12, 20-23, it seems 
that the whole country east of the Jordan was, in primitive times, held by a 
race of giants, all probably of the same stock, comprehending the Rephaim 
on the north, next the Zuzim, after them the Emim, and then the Horim on 
the south ; and that afterward the kingdom of Bashan embraced the terri- 
tories of the first ; the country of the Ammonites the second ; that of the 
Moabites the third; while Eclom took in the mountains of the Horim. The 
whole of them were attacked and pillaged by the eastern kings who des- 
troyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The Emim were related to the Anakim, and 
were generally called by the same name ; but their conquerors, the Moabites, 
termed them Emim, (Deut. ii, 11,) very probably on account of their fierce 
aspect. 

Em'maus, or Emma'us, (Maps 5, 20,) hot springs. 

1. A village believed to be about seven and a half miles north-west of 
Jerusalem, whither were going the disciples whom the Lord met after his 
resurrection, Luke xxiv, 13. The opinion has prevailed among Christian 
writers that the Emmaus of Luke was identical with the Emmaus on the 
border of the plain of Philistia, afterward called Nicopolis, and which was 
about twenty miles from Jerusalem. But the circumstances of the Scripture 
narrative are emphatically against this theory, Luke xxiv, 13, 28, 29, 36, 
42, 43. Luke says its distance was " threescore furlongs ; " and Josephus 
mentions a village of the same name, at the same distance from Jerusalem. 

A tradition of the fourteenth century identifies Emmaus, with Kubeibeh, 
about three miles west of ancient Mizpeli, and nin^ from Jerusalem. Porter 
says: "There is not a shadow of evidence for this supposition. In fact the 
site of Emmaus remains yet to be identified." Dr. Thomson (Land and the 
Book, vol. i ; , p. 540) is inclined, with others, to locate Emmaus at Kuriet el- 
Aineb, which, he says, "would be the proper distance from Jerusalem, . . . 
being on tho road to Jaffa." Mr. Grove and some others prefer Kulonieh, 
four and a half miles west of Jerusalem. But of this, Clarke (Bible Atlas, 
p. 44) says, "The spot is . . . rather too near to Jerusalem, if we are to accept 
in a strict sense the distance as stated by St. Luke and Josephus." All Is 
mero conjecture. 

2. A town in the Philistine plain, where Judas Maccabeus gained a victory 
over Georgias, 1 Mace, iii, 40, 57 ; iv, 3 ; ix, 50. It lies about twenty-two 
Roman miles from Jerusalem, and ten from Lydda, at the foot of the mount- 
ains of Judah. It was the capital of a toparchy under the Romans. About 
A. D. 4, it was burned by the Roman general Varus. It was rebuilt (about 
A. D. 220) by the Christian writer Julius Africanus, when it received the 
name of Nicopolis. A small miserable village called Amwds still occupies 
cue site of the ancient city. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 121 

Emmer. 1 Esdras ix, 21. See Immer. 

Ena'jim. Gen. xxxviii, 14, 21, margin. See Enam. 

E'nam, the double spring, a town in the lowland of Judah, Josh, xv, 34. 
It is possibly alluded to in Gen. xxxviii, 14, (A. V., " an open place.") From 
its mention with towns which are known to have been near Timnath, this i3 
\ery probably the place in the "door- way" of which Tamar sat before her 
interview with her father-in-law. The "open place" is literally "the door- 
way of Enayim " or Enam. Perhaps the site is marked by Deir el-Butm. 
with a well adjoining, laid down by Van de Yelde a little beyond Dei? 
Dublin, north of Eleutheropolis. 

Bn'-Dor, (Map 5,) spring or fount of the dwelling, a place in Issachar, but 
held by Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 11. It was probably the scene of the death 
of Jabin and Sisera, Psa. lxxxiii, 9, 10. The residence of the witch consult- 
ed by Saul, I Sam. xxviii, 7. It is now Endur, north of " Little Hermon." 
Thomson describes it as " a most wretched-looking place." 

En-Eg'laim or Sn-Egla'im, fountain of two calves, or of two pooh, a place 
apparently on the Dead Sea, mentioned only in Ezek. xlvii, 10 ; probably the 
Eglaim of Isa. xv, 8. M. de Saulcy thinks it identical with Ain-Ajlah, 
situated toward the northern point of the Dead Sea, between Jericho and 
the Jordan. See Eglaim. 

Engad'di. Ecclesiasticus xxiv, 14. A Greek form of Engedi. 

En-Gan'nim, fountain of gardens. 

1. A place in the low country of Judah, Josh, xv, 34. Not known. 

2. A town on the border of Issachar, Josh, xix, 21. It was allotted to 
Gershonite Levites, xxi, 29. Probably it was the "garden house" (Beth- 
Gan) of 2 Kings ix, 27. Elsewhere (1 Chron. vi, 73) Anem. It is identified, 
with scarcely a doubt, in the modern Jenin, the first village encountered on 
the ascent from the great plain of Esdraelon to the hills of the central coun- 
try. It is still surrounded with " gardens," and a noted " spring" is near bv. 
There are about two thousand inhabitants, who are termed fanatical and 
unruly. 

See Beth-Hag-gan, with which En-Gannim is probably identical. 

Enge'di, (Map 5,) fountain of the kid, a place originally called Hazazon- 
Tamar, 2 Chron. xx, 2. It was in the "wilderness" of Judah, Josh, xv, 62, 
on the west shore of the J)ead Sea, Ezek. xlvii, 10. It was one of David's 
retreats, 1 Sam. xxiii, 29 ; xxiv, 1. Saul was found in one of its caves, xxiv, 3. 
"Camphire in the vineyards of Engedi," Solomon's Song, i, 14. It is now 
called Ain-Jidy. Ruins exist, near which may be found the tents of a few 
Arabs. Sepulchers and caves abound in the neighboring cliffs. About four 
hundred feet above the plain is the fountain of Ain-Jidy, whose sweet (but 
warm) water "bursts from the limestone rock, and rushes down the ctecp 
descent." 

En-Had'dah, swift fountain, a place on the boundary of Issachar, near 
Eu-Gannim, Josh, xix, 21. Not identified. 

En-Hak'kore, or En-Hakko're, fountain of the crier, the spring of 
Samson at Lehi — not " the jaw," Judg. xv, 19. " The name is a pun founded 
on the word in verse 18, yikera, 'he called.'" The place has not been iden- 
tified, although Van de Velde would seem to identify it with the large 
spring between Tdl-el-Leldyeh (which is four miles north of Beersheba) and 
Khewdfeh. But this Tell is some thirty miles from Gaza in a straight lino, 
whJe Samson's adventures seem to have been confined to a nairow circle. 



122 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

En-Ha'2or, spring of the village, one of the cities of Naphtali, apparently 
DDt far from Kedesh, Josh, xix, 37. Not known. 

En-Mish'pat, fountain of judgment, the ancient name of Kadesh, Gen. 
xiv, 7. 

En-Rim'mon, fountain of the pomegranate, a place inhabited hy the men 
of Judah after the return from the captivit}', Neh. xi, 29. It is probably 
identical with "Ain and Rimmon," Josh, xv, 32; "Ain, Remmon," xix, 7; 
"Ain, Rimmon," 1 Chron. iv, 32. Possibly the Rimmon of Zech. xiv, 10. 
Wilton finds En-Rimmon in the modern name Um er-Rumdmin. See Riii- 

ilON'. 

En-Ro'gel, (Map 6,) fountain of the scout, or fuller's fountain, a spring on 
the boundary between Judah and Benjamin, Josh, xv, 7 ; xviii, ] 6. Here, at 
the time of Absalom's rebellion, Jonathan and Ahimaaz waited for intelli- 
gence which they might convey to David, 2 Sam. xvii, 17. Here, too, was 
the coronation feast of Adonijah, 1 Kings i, 9. The best authorities differ 
as to the site. Grove says, it is possibly the modern well, Bir Eyub, below 
Siloam ; but more probably the Fount of the Virgin, a few hundred yards 
further north. See Zoheleth. 

En-She'mesh, spring of the sun, a fountain on the boundary between 
Judah and Benjamin, Josh. xv. 7; xviii, 17. It was probably east of Jeru- 
salem, beyond the Mount of Olives, and probably identical with the modern 
fountain about a mile below Bethany, called Ain el-haud, or Ain-Chot — the 
" Well of the Apostles " — the traveler's first halting place on the road to 
Jericho. 

En-Tap'puah, spring of Tuppuah, or apple, or citron, a place on the 
boundary of Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 7. Perhaps identical with Tappuah, 
which see. 

E'noch, initiated, or initiating, that is, dedicated, a city built by Cain, and 
called after the name of his eldest son, Gen. iv, 17, 18. The site is unknown. 
See Nod. 

E'non. John iii, 23. See JExox. 

Ephes-Dam'mim, end, or boundary of blood (?) the place near Azekah where 
the Philistines were encamped when Goliath was slain, 1 Sam. xvii, 1. In 
1 Chron. xi, 13, the form is Pas-Dammim, (which see.) On his way from 
Beit-Jibrin to Jerusalem, Van de Velde came past a ruined site on the 
high northward-looking brow of Wady Musur, about one hour east by south 
of Beit-Netif, called Khirbet Damun, which he has no doubt represents the 
ancient Ephes-Dammim. 

Ephesus, (Map 8.) A city which successively bore also the names of 
Samorna, Trachea, Ortygia, and Ptelea. Ephesus was one of the twelve 
Ionian cities in Asia Minor in the mythic times, and said to have bene 
founded by the Amazons, but in later times inhabited by the Carians ar...l 
Leleges, and taken possession of by the Ionians under Androclus. the son 
of Codrus. It lay in a fertile alluvial plain south of the river Cayster, not 
far from the coast of the Icarian Sea, between Smyrna and Milotus, distant 
from the first-named city three hundred and twenty stadia, or nearly forty 
miles. Under the Roman government Ephesus was a free city, with its own 
magistrates and other officers, and legal assemblies. Thus, in Acts xix, 35, 
38, we read of " the town-clerk " and " deputies," that is, proconsuls. This 
city became the great emporium of trade for the Asiatic regions ; and, con- 
sequently, the inhabitants becamo luxurious and dissolute. Magic was 








temple of diana (restored.) 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 125 

studied and practiced here. At the head of the harbor of Ephesus stood 
the magnificent temple of the goddess Diana. This was one of the seven 
wonders of the world. It was built by the most eminent architects, of the 
choicest marble, the cost being defraj^ed by all the Greek cities, aided by 
Croesus, King of Lydia. Many years were spent in its erection. It was 
burned by Herostratus in 355 B. C, on the same night that Alexander the 
Great was born. It was then rebuilt with still greater magnificence. Its 
length was four hundred and twenty-five feet by two hundred and twenty 
broad. The roof, which was of carved cedar, was supported by one hundred 
and twenty-seven Ionic columns of sixty feet high. The folding doors were 
of cypress, and the staircase was formed of a single vine from the island of 
Cyprus. This wonderful temple was made the depository of the wealth of 
Western Asia. The sacred image of Diana, said to have fallen from heaven, 
was made of wood, and carved with mystic devices. The silver shrines, of 
which mention is made in Acts, were probably small models of this image 
and that part of the temple in which it stood. These shrines were eagerly 
purchased by visitors, who carried them home and set them up in their 
houses. There were games held in honor of Diana, and officers called 
Asiarchs superintended them. In our version these persons have the title 
of " the chief of Asia," Acts xix, 31. 

On his second missionary journey the Apostle Paul visited this important 
city. Here he found many Jews, in whose synagogue he might preach, and 
with whom he reasoned. Soon, however, he "sailed from Ephesus," prom- 
ising to return again. He left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus, and they 
instructed an eloquent Jew of Alexandria, Apollos, who knew only of John's 
baptism, but preached boldly in the synagogue, Acts xviii, 18-28. Paul, 
having passed through the upper coasts, came again to Ephesus, Acts xix, 1. 
The account of his long stay, which "continued by the space of two years; " 
the "special miracles by the hands of Paul; " his persecution by Demetrius 
and the worshipers of Diana ; the attempt of Sceva's seven sons to expel a 
demon; the burning of the books concerning the "curious arts;" these are 
all recorded in Acts xix. Afterward the elders of Ephesus are addressed 
by Paul at Miletus, on his way to Jerusalem, Acts xx, 16-38. Other refer- 
ences to this city 1 ' are found in the charge given to Timothy there, 1 Tim. 
i, 3 ; the service rendered by Onesiphorus to the Apostle when there, 2 Tim. 
i, 18 ; tlie mission of Tychicus, 2 Tim. iv, 12 ; and the apocalyptic letter to the 
Ephesian Church, which had then declined from its first love, Rev. ii, 1-7. 
Trophimus was an Ephesian, Acts xxi, 29; and the Apostle John is believed 
to have made Ephesus his residence during the latter part of his life. The 
site of Ephesus is now occupied by the Turkish village of Ayosaluk. Very 
extensive rurns of the ancient city yet remain. In 1872 a whole cargo oi 
valuable relics from these ruins was shipped for the British Museum. 

E'phraim, (Map 5,) double fruitfulness, double lana, very fruitful (?), one of 
the tribes of Israel, sprung from the second son of Joseph, Gen. xli, 50-52. 
Joseph, when apprised of his father's sickness, was anxious to obtain the 
recognition of his sons Manasseh and Ephraim, as interested in the cove- 
nant blessing. Accordinghy. Jacob, outstripping Joseph's anticipation, 
adopted them as patriarchs, or heads of tribes equally with his own sons. 
But he placed the younger, Ephraim. before the elder, Manasseh, " guiding 
his hands wittingly," in spite of Joseph's remonstrance, and prophetically 
declaring that the posterity of Ephraim should be far greater and more 



126 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

powerful than the posterity of Manasseh, Gen. xlviii. The descendants of 
any other sons that Joseph might beget were not to be ranked separately, 
but to be "called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance." 
Doubtles, Joseph had other sons, and their posterity, perhaps, were some- 
times deemed Ephraimites, and sometimes Manassites, according as they 
chose to locate themselves. This may account for the reproach once thrown 
upon some Gileadites, as fugitives, belonging justly neither to the one tribe 
nor to the other, Judg. xii, 5. 

At the first census in the wilderness, Ephraim numbered 40,500, Num. 
i, 33. Their encampment was to be on the west side of the tabernacle, 
and in the march they were to head the third division, Num. l, 32, 33; 
ii, 18, 19. At the second census, in the plain of Moab, their number was 
only 32,500. Num. xxvi, 37. 

Having reached Canaan, Jndah, Ephraim, and Manasseh first took their 
inheritance. The boundaries of Ephraim are given in Josh, xvi, (compare 
1 Chron. vii, 28, 29.) We are not able to trace this boundary-line very 
exactly. But Ephraim occupied the very center of Palestine, embracing an 
area about forty miles in length, from east to west, and from six to twenty- 
five in breadth, from north to south. It extended from the Mediterranean 
on the west to the Jordan on the east: having on the north the half-tribe 
of Manasseh, and on the south Benjamin and Dan,. Josh, xvi, 5, etc.; xvii, 7, 
etc. ; 1 Chron. vii, 28, 29. This fine country included most of what was after- 
ward called Samaria, as distinguished from Judea on the one hand, and 
Galilee on the other. What was called " Mount Ephraim," (perhaps extend- 
ing across the border of Benjamin,) consisted of rounded limestone hills, 
among which were valleys and plains, well-watered, yielding abundantly, as 
Moses had predicted, " the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof," 
Dent, xxxiii, 16. The tribes were not at first contented with the size of their 
allotted portion, but were told, somewhat ironically, by Joshua, that if they 
were as they called themselves, a great people, they ought to go boldly and 
occupy the adjacent mountain and woodland country, Josh, xvii, 14-18. 
The Ephraimites did not fully drive out the Canaanites, Josh, xvi, 10. 

The tabernacle was set up in Ephraim, at Shiloh, Josh, xviii, 1. By this 
circumstance the influence of the tribe was increased, and we find it bearing 
itself haughtily. We have an example of this in their remonstrance to 
Gideon after his first victory, which that leader deemed prudent to pacify 
by a flattering answer, Judg. vii, 24, 25; viii, 1-3. With Jephthah they 
were still more incensed, because, as they said, he had not solicited theii 
aid. Jephthah, however, boldly attacked and defeated them, and when they 
fled he intercepted the fugitives at the Jordan, so that there perished in that 
disastrous quarrel, forty-two thousand men, Judg. xii, 1-6.. A.t first the 
Ephraimites did not submit to the authority of David, 2 Sam. ii, 8-9 ; and, 
though, after the death of Ish-Bosheth, a large body of them went to Hebron 
to join David and that monarch could speak of Ephraim as the strength of 
his head, yet the jealousy against Jndah sometimes broke out, 1 Chron xii, 
30 ; Psa. lx, 7 ; 2 Sam. xix, 40-43. David had his ruler in Ephraim, 1 CI ron. 
xxvii, 20; and Solomon his commissariat officer, 1 Kings iv, 8. Still, the 
spirit and weight of the tribe were so great that Rehoboam found it neces- 
sary to repair to Shechem, a city within its borders, for his inauguration, 
1 Kings xii, 1. And then, on his foolish refusal of their demands, the tec 
tribes revolted, and established a different mode of worship, 1 Kings xii 



'" ;,;., ' : ' '"-. 




BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 129 

After this Ephraim was the main support of the northern kingdom, which 
came to be designated by its name, and the re-union of which with Judah 
was the hope of the prophets as the fulfillmeut of Israel's glory, Isa. vii, 2 ; 
xi, 13; Ezek. xxxvii, 15-22; Hos. iv, 17. After the captivity "children of 
Ephraim" dwelt in Jerusalem, 1 Chron. ix, 3; comp. Neh. xi. 

E'phraim, Gate op, one of the gates at Jerusalem, 2 Kings xiv, 13; 
2 Chron. xxv, 23; Neh. viii, 16; xii, 39. Probably in the same direction 
with the present " Damascus Gate," (Bab el-Amud.) See Map 7. 

E'phraim, Mount, the highland portion of the territory of Ephraim, ex- 
tending from Bethel and Ramah on the south to the great plain on the 
north, Josh, xvii, 15; xix, 50; xx, 7; and various other references. Possi- 
bly this region included a part, and it may be even the whole of Benjamin. 
See Ephraim. 

E'phraim, The "Wood of, a forest in which the great battle took place 
between the forces of Absalom and David, and in which Absalom was killed, 
2 Sam. xviii, 6. It lay east of Jordan, not far from Mahanaim, and the 
name may either have some connection with Manasseh, or be an alteration 
of Ephron, a place somewhere in that neighborhood. 

E phraimite, Judg. xii, 5 ; and Ephramites, Josh, xvi, 10. Descendants 
of Ephraim. 

E'phrain, (Hebrew, Ephron,) the two fawns, a town of Israel taken by 
Judah, 2 Chron. xiii, 19. Possibly it is the Ephraim of the New Testament, 
John xi, 54; or the Ophrah of Benjamin, or connected with Mount Ephron 
of Judah — but all is conjectural. See Ophrah. 

Eph'ratah, (by some Ephra'tah,) or Eph'rath, land, rtgion, or perhaps 
fruitful. The first form occurs in Ruth iv, 11; Psa. cxxxii, 6; the other in 
Gen. xxxv, 16, 19; xlviii, 7. The original name of Bethlehem. Gesenius and 
others think the term as used in the Psalm above means Ephraim. If so, 
the reference may be to the abode of the ark in Shiloh in " Mount Ephraim." 

Eph'rathites, 1. A native of Ephrath or Bethlehem, Ruth i, 2 ; 1 Sam. 
xvii, 12. 

2. Perhaps an Ephraimite, though this is uncertain, 1 Sam. i, 1 ; 1 Kinga 
xi, 26; also Judg. xii, 5, where u the Ephrathite " is rendered in the Author- 
ized Version ,; an Ephraimite." 

Ephron, a strongly fortified city east of Jordan, apparently between Car- 
naim and Beth-Shean, 1 Mace, v, 46; 2 Mace, xii, 27. Perhaps it may be 
connected with the " forest of Ephraim," in which Absalom lost his life. It 
is not yet identified. 

E'phron, Mount, faivn-Uke mount, a range of hills on the northern bound- 
ary of Judah, between Nephtoah and Kirjath-Jearim, Josh, xv, 9. It ia 
probably the range of hills west of Wady Beit Hanina; possibly connected 
with Ephrain, or the Ephraim of John xi, 54. 

E'ranites, The, Num. xxvi,36, (from Eran, watchful) a family of Ephraim, 
descended from Eran. 

E'rech, length, one of Nimrod's cities, Gen. x, 10, in Southern Babylonia, 
In Ezra iv, 9, its people are called Archevites. Some identify Erech with 
Edessa or Callirhoe, (now Urfah,) a town in the north-west of Mesopotamia. 
The best authorities, however, make Erech the Orchoe of Ptolemy among 
the marshes formed by the canals of the Euphrates, corresponding with the 
modern Warka, which is eighty-two miles south, and forty-three east from 
Babylon on the Euphrates. Great numbers of tombs and coffins have been 



130 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

found here, and the place seems to have been the necropolis of the Assyrian 
kings. A vast mound called el-Assagah, (the place of pebbles,) or Irka, or 
Irak, covers the vicinity. There was another Erech, probably located in 
Palestine, near Bethel. See Arciiite. 

Esdraelon, (Map 5.) the Greek form of Jezreel, Judith iii, 9; iv, 6 
(The Hebrew Jezreel being gradually corrupted into the Greek Ec^prpMV. 
It is also called Esdra-Elom, Judith vii, 3; and Esdre'lom, Judith i. 8, with 
the addition of "the great plain." In the Old Testament the plain Is called 
the valley of Jezreel, Josh, xvii, 1G; by Josephus "the Great Plain ' Also 
in Zech. xii, 11, the valley of Megiddo. The name is derived from tlie old 
royal city of Jezreel, which occupied a commanding site near the eastern 
extremity of the plain, on a spur of Mount Gilboa. 

The "great plain of Esdraelon" extends across central Palestine from 
the Mediterranean to the Jordan, separating the mountain ranges of Carmel 
and Samaria frcm those of Galilee. The western section of it is properly 
the plain of Accho. or Akka. The main body of the plain is a triangle. Its 
base on the east side extends from Jentn (the ancient En-Gannim) to the foot 
of the hills below Nazareth, and is about fifteen miles long; the north side, 
formed by the hills of Galilee, is about twelve miles long; and the south 
side, formed by the Samarian range, is about eighteen miles. The apex on 
the west is a narrow pass opening into the plain of Akka. This vast ex- 
panse has a gently undulating surface — in spring all green with corn where 
cultivated, and rank with weeds and grass where neglected — dotted with 
several low gray tells, and near the sides with a few olive groves. This is 
that valley of Megiddo (called from the city of Megiddo, which stood on its 
southern border,) where Barak triumphed, and where King Josiah was de- 
feated and received his death wound, Judg. v ; 2 Chron. xxxv. Probably, 
too, it was before the mind of the Apostle John when he figuratively 
described the final conflict between the hosts of good and evil who were 
gathered to a place called Armageddon, (that is, the city of Megiddo, Rev. 
xvi, 16.) The river Kishon, "that ancient river" so fatal to the army of 
Sisera, (Judg. v, 21,) drains the plain, and flows off through the pass west- 
ward to the Mediterranean. 

From the base of this triangular plain three branches stretch out eastward 
like fingers from a hand, divided by two bleak, gray ridges — one bearing the 
familiar name of Mount Gilboa ; the other called by Franks Little Hermon, 
but by natives Jebel ed-Duhy. The northern branch has Tabor on the one 
side, and Little Hermon on the other; into it the troops of Barak defiled 
from the heights of Tabor, Judg. iv, 6 ; and on its opposite side are the sites 
of Nain and Endor. The southern branch lies between Jentn and Gilboa, 
terminating in a point among the hills to the eastward; it was across it 
Ahaziah fled from Jehu, 2 Kings ix, 27. The central branch is the richest as 
well as the most celebrated ; it descends in green, fertile slopes, to the banks 
of the Jordan, having Jezreel and Shunem on opposite sides at the western 
end, and Beth-Shean in its midst toward the east. This is the " valley of 
Jezreel" proper — the battle-field on which Gideon triumphed, and Saul and 
Jonathan were overthrown, Judg. vii, 1, etc.; 1 Sam. xxix and xxxi. 

Esdraelon was the frontier of Zebulun, Deut. xxxiil IS. But it was tLe 
special portion of Issachar, Gen. xlix, 1 5. 

This plain is one of wonderful richness. Gigantic thistles, luxuriant grass, 
and the exuberance of the crops on the very few cultivated spots, show its 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 131 

great fertility. But yet it is a plain of desolation, with scarcely a village in 
it, swept over by the wild Arab tribes in search of plunder. 

7t has always been a place of insecurity. Chariots and cavalry, of little 
use in the hill-country, availed in the comparative level of Esdraelon; and 
Ganaanites, Midianites, and Amalekites, those " children of the East," who 
wore " as grasshoppers for multitude," whoso " camels were without 
Dumber," devoured its rich pastures, Judg. iv, 3, 7; vi, 1-6; vii, 1. The 
Philistines long held it, 1 Sam. xxix, 1; xxxi, 10; and the Syrians frequently 
swept over it with their armies, 1 Kings xx, 26; 2 Kings xiii, 17. l-'or 
interesting notices of Issachar in this connection see Gen. xlix, 14, 15; Deut. 
xxxiii, 18; Judg. v. 15; 1 Chron. xii, 82,40. The whole borders of this 
plain are dotted with places of high historic and sacred interest, among 
which are Nain, Endor, Bethshean, Gilboa, Jezreel, En-Gannim, Taanach, 
Megiddo, Nazareth, Tabor. It is now called Merj ibn 'Amer, l ' the plain of 
the sou of Anicr." See Smith, Herzog, Stanley; and Porter's Handbook for 
Sijria and Palestine; and Our Work in Palestine, p. 197. 
Es'ebon. Judith v, 13. See Heshbox. 

E'sek, strife, a well dug by Isaac's herdmen in the valley of Gerar, Gen. 
xxvi, 20, for which the herdmen of Gerar " strove." 

Esh'col, The Valley of, (Map 5,) a cluster, a valley of Canaan near 
Hebron, from which the spies brought a cluster of grapes so large that it 
was carried on a staff between two men, Num. xiii, 23, 24; xxxii, 9; Deut. 
i, 24. The name had existed in this neighborhood centuries before from the 
Amorite chief Eshcol, in Abraham's time. 

North of Hebron is a spring of fine water called Ain el-Khashkali, which 
may, perhaps, represent the ancient Eshcol. The name is also written Ain 
ei-R'ishkala. Palmer thinks Eshcol lay much further south than Hebron. 

E'shean, or Esh'ean, prop, support, a place in the mountains of Judah, 
mentioned only in Josh, xv, 52. Van de Velde would locate the site at the 
ruins of Khursa, not far south-west of Hebron. This lacks confirmation. 
Esh'kalonites, Josh, xiii, 3, natives of Ashkelon. 

Esh'taol, perhaps retreat, withdraioal, a place in the low country of 
Judah, Josh, xv, 33 ; afterward asigned to Dan, Josh, xix, 41. Samson spent 
his boyhood in this neighborhood, and here first manifested his wonderful 
strength, and here too, between Zorah and Eshtaol, he was buried, Judg. 
xiii, 25; xvi, 31; xviii, 2, 8, 11, 12, (compare 1 Chron. ii, 53, and see Dan.) 
Several efforts toward identification have been made, but without complete 
satisfaction. Grove makes the most probable site, " perhaps Kustul, east of 
Kuriet el-Enab" not far from Jerusalem. Mr. Porter thinks Eshtaol may 
possibly be identical with Yesliua, which lies at the eastern extremity of 
the broad valley which runs up among the hills between Zorah and Beth- 
Sheruesh. 

Esh'taulites, The, 1 Chron. ii, 50. Inhabitants of Eshtaol. 
E. : ,hte:no'a, or Eshtem'oa, obedience, a city in the mountains of Judah, 
allotted to the priests, Josh, xxi, 14 ; called Eshtemoh, xv, 50. One of the 
haunts of David; and to the inhabitants of which he sent presents, 1 Sam. 
xxx, 28-31. See also 1 Chron. iv, 17, 19; vi, 57. It is probably the mod- 
sru village of Semu'a, seven or eight miles fcouth of Hebron, which contains 
ancient remains to a considerable extent. 
Eshtemoh, Josh, xv, 50. Another form of Eshtemoa. 
Esh'ton, womanish, uxorious, careless, possibly the name of a place 



132 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

in Judah, but generally considered the name of a person, 1 Chron iv, 
11, 12. 

Eso'ra, (Properly ^Esora,) Judith iv, 4, a place fortified by the Jews on 
the approach of the army of Holofernes. " The Syriac reading suggests 
Beth-Horon, which is not impossible." — Smith. 

Es'rom, Matt, i, 3 ; Luke iii, 33. The Greek form of Hezron. 

E'tam, place of ravenous beasts or birds. 

1. A place in Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 32. Possibly the site may be marked 
by Tell Khewelfeh. See En-Hakkore 

2. (Map 5,j a place in Judah, fortified and garrisoned by Rehoboam, 
2 Chron xi, 6. It is possibly at or near Urtas, not far from Bethlehem. Ac« 
cording to Josephus this city was fifty stadia from Jerusalem, and thither 
Solomon was in the habit of taking a morning drive. 

E'tam, The Rock, a rock into a cleft of which Samson retired after his 
slaughter of the Philistines, Judg. xv, 8, 11. It was in Judah, and may 
probably be identical with Beit 'Atdb. 

E'tham, (Map 2,) bounolanj of the sea. The second station of the Israel- 
ites on leaving Egypt, " in the edge of the wilderness," tfxod. xiii, 20 ; Num. 
xxxiii, 6, 7. Possibly it may be placed at Seba Bidr, or Seven Wells, about 
three miles from the western side of the ancient head of the gulf. See Shuu. 

E'ther, abundance, a town of Simeon in the low country of Judah, Josh. 
xv, 42; xix, 7. In 1 Chron. iv, 32, Tochen is substituted for Ether. It is 
conjecturally placed at Beit-Auwa, a ruined village in the vicinity of the as- 
sociated localities, south of Beit-Jibrin and west of Hebron. 

Ethiopia, (Map 1.) region of burned faces, that is, dark-complexioned 
people. Ethiopia is the Greek name by which the Hebrew Cush is gen- 
erally rendered. [See Cusi-l] This country lay to the south of Egypt, and 
embraced, in its most extended sense, the modern Nubia, Sennaar, Eordofan, 
and northern Abyssinia, and, in its more definite sense, the kingdom of 
Meroe, from the junction of the Blue and White branches of the Nile to the 
border of Egypt. In the Bible, as in classical geography, but one limit of 
Ethiopia is laid down, its northern frontier, just beyond Syene, the most 
southern town of Egypt. In other directions the boundaries can only be 
generally described as the Red Sea on the east, the Libj-an desert on the 
west, and the Abyssinian highlands on the south. See Gen. x, 6; ii, 13; 
1 Chron. i, 9; 2 Chron. xxi. 16; Esther i, 1; Isa. xviii, 1 ; Ezek. xxix, 10; xxx, 
5, 6. Anciently the extent assigned to Ethiopia may have been very great, 
as it was the land of the negroes, and therefore represented all that was 
known of inner Africa, besides that part of the continent south of Egypt 
which is washed by the Red Sea. The references in the Bible are, however, 
generally, if not always, to the territory which was at times under Egyptian 
rule, a tract watered by the Upper Nile, and extending from Egypt probably 
as far as a little above the confluence of the White and Blue Rivers. 

Besides the above passages there are frequent Scripture references to 
Ethiopia: the complexion of its people, Jer. xiii, 23; and their warlike char- 
acter, Jer. xlvi, 9. The merchandise of Ethiopia, Tsa. xlv, 14; its precious 
stones, Job xxviii, 19. Here Moses found a wife, Num. xii, 1. From 
Ethiopia came part of Shishak's army, 2 Chron. xii, 3. Zerah, King of 
Ethiopia., was defeated by Asa, 2 Chron. xiv, 9-15; xvi, 8; and another of 
its kings, Tirhakah, attacked Assyria, 2 Kings xix, 9. The Ethiopian Ebed. 
Melech showed kindness to Jeremiah, Jer. xxxviii, 7-13; xxxix, 15-18 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 133 

Some of the prophets mention Ethiopia in their predictions Psa. Ixviii, 
81 ; lxxxvii, 4- Isa. xx, 2-6; xlv, 14; Ezek. xxx, 4-9; Dan. xi, *3; Hub. iii, 
7; Zeph. ii, 12; Nah. iii, 8-10. 

Mention of Ethiopia is made also in the New Testament. There had been 
dynasties of native sovereigns, and some of these •were females, with the 
official title of Candace. One of the eunuchs "of great authority under 
Cauda ce, queen of the Ethiopians," was converted by the preaching of 
Philip, Acts viii, 27-39. 

Eth'ma, 1 Esdras ix, 35 ; apparently a corruption of Nebo in the parallel 
b'st of Ezra x, 43. 

Euphra'tes, (Map 1,) (Hebrew, Frath.) Rawlinson says this word "is 
probably of Aryan origin, the initial element being 'w, which is in Sanscrit su, 
in Zend hu, and in Greek ev; and the second element being/; a, the particle 
of abundance. The Euphrates is thus ' the good and abounding river.' " 
Probably the name was soon shortened to its modern name of F/dt, which is 
almost exactly what the Hebrew literation expresses. Its most frequent 
name in Scripture is "the river," 1 Kings iv, 21; Ezra iv, 10, 16, the river 
of Asia in grand contrast to the short-lived torrents of Palestine. 

This is the largest, longest, and by far the most important of the rivers of 
Western Asia. It has two principal sources in the Armenian mountains. 
The most northern branch, the Frat, or Kara-su, (Black River,) rises about 
twenty-five miles north-east of Erzeroum ; the other, which is the chief, 
called Micrad-chai, (River of Desire,) rises on the northern slope of Ala-tagh, 
not far from Ararat. They meet after a course of two hundred and seventy 
and four hundred miles respectively, at Ktbban Maden, in 39° east long. 
The combined stream is here about one hundred and twenty yards wide; its 
course is at first nearly south; it then turns south-east, pursuing its long 
course to the sea. Joined by the Tigris at Kurnah, it is called Shatel-Arab, 
and ultimately falls into the Persian Gulf. Its entire length is about one 
thousand seven hundred and eighty miles, more than two-thirds of which 
are navigable for small steam-vessels. In the latter part of its course from 
Hit, the Euphrates flows through a low alluvial plain, where it often spreads 
and forms marshes; its width therefore varies, and is said to be greatest 
about seven hundred or eight hundred miles from its mouth. 

Scripture allusions to the Euphrates are frequent, it is first mentioned, 
as the fourth river of Eden, in Gen. ii, 14. In the covenant with Abraham 
it is the boundary of Israel, by prophecy, Gen. xv. 18; Exod. xxiii, 31; 
and the prophecy was remembered at the settlement of Canaan, Deut. i, 7 ; 
xi. 24; Josh, i, 4. Reuben extended to the Euphrates anterior to Saul, 1 
Chron. v, 9. The prophecy fulfilled to David, 2 Sam. viii, 3-3; 1 Chrrn. 
xviii, 3. To Solomon also, 1 Kings iv, 21, (compare 2 Chron. ix, 26.) Upon 
the disruption of the empire, under Rehoboam, this wide dominion was lost, 
Egypt's dominion, under Necho, extended to the Euphrates, 2 Chron. xxxv, 
20 ; but this dominion was short-lived, Jer. xlvi, 2 ; 2 Kings xxiv, 7. 

Jeremiah buried his girdle in this river, Jer. xiii, 1-7 ; and cast his book 
into it, li, 63, 64. Probably it is included in the reference in Psa. exxxvii, 1 
and Jer 1, 38; li, 26. Referred to symbolically in Isa. viii, 7; Rev. ix, 14 
xvi, 12. 

The shores bordering its central course are uniform, and enriched with 
tamarinds and poplars; further down it is more fertile, with palm-groves 
and willows. Its depth, as its width, varies according to locality and season. 



134 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Here and there fords are met with ; at other places it is crossed on rafts, or, 
more recently, by bridges, while lower down it is navigable for vessels. 

E'zel, The Stone of, stone of departure, a stone in the neighborhood of 
Saul's residence, the scene of the parting of Jonathan and David, when the 
latter finally fled from the court, 1 Sam. xx, 19. It is possibly a corruption 
of some ancient name not recorded. 

E'zem, bone, strength, a city of Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 29; in Josh, xix, 3, 
called Azem. 

E'zion-Ga'ber or Ge'ber, (Map 2,) the giant's back-bone, a city on the Red 
Sea. It was the last station named for the encampment of the Israeli ea 
before they came to "the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh," Num. xxxiii, 
35; Deut. ii, 8; subsequently the station of Solomon's navy, 1 Kings ix, 26; 
2 Chron. viii, 17 ; and of Jehoshaphat's navy, 1 Kings xxii, 48 ; but the latter 
ships were " broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish." It is prob- 
ably identified with Am el-Ghudydn, about ten miles up what is now tie dry 
bed of the Arabah, but (as Kiepert supposed) was then the northern end of the 
gulf, which may have anciently had, like that of Suez, a further extension. 

Fair Ha'vens, (Map 8,) a harbor on the south side of the island of Crete. 
Recent researches have identified it, and thrown much light on the account 
of Paul's voyage. It has its old Greek name, Kalous Umionas, and is situ- 
ated four or five miles to the east of Cape Matala, and about the same dis- 
tance to the west of Cape Leonda. It is a fair winter harbor, but inferior 
to that of Phenice, about forty miles farther westward. After passing Cape 
Matala the coast trends to the north; hence the danger, if a northerly gale 
sprang up, of the vessel's being driven out to sea; and hence the advice 
given by Paul to lie still at Fair Havens, instead of making for Phenice, Acts 
xxvii, 8, 9, 10, 21. 

Ford, passage. Fords of Jordan, Josh, ii, 7; Judg. iii, 28; xii, 5, 6; of 
Jabbok, Gen. xxxii, 22; of Arnon, Isa. xvi, 2; of the Euphrates, Jer. Ii, 32. 
As to the Jordan, anciently its fords were but few in number and well 
known, but now its fordable places are very numerous. See Jordan. 

Frank Mountain, (Map 6,) Herodium. 

Fish Gate, Zech. xiv, 10, one of the gates of Jerusalem. 

Fuller's Field, The, a spot near Jerusalem, 2 Kings xviii, 17 ; Isa. xxxvl, 
2 ; vii, 3; so close to the walls that a person speaking from there could be 
heard on them, 2 Kings xviii, 17, 26. It is only accidentally mentioned in 
these passages, as giving its name to a " highway," which was the " con 
duit of the upper pool." The "end" of the conduit, whatever that was, 
appears to have been close to the road, Isa. vii, 3. One resort of the fullers 
of Jerusalem would seem to have been below the city on the south-east side. 
[See En-Rogel.] The position of this " field " is not fully agreed upon 
among authorities. Porter says: "There can be little doubt that tlie ' upper 
pool' is the cistern now called Birket el-Alamilla, at the head of the valley 
of Hinnom, a short distance west of the Yafa Gate. Hezekiah conveyed 
the waters from it by a subterranean aqueduct to the west side of the city 
of David, 2 Chron. xxxii, 30. . . . The fuller's occupation required an 
abundant supply of water, and an open space for drying the cloths. We 
may therefore conclude that their 'field' was beside, or, at least, not far 
distant from, the ' upper pool.' " This seems to us the most probable locality. 
But see Kitto, and Smith, and Porter's Handbook for Syria arid Palestine 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 135 

Ga'ash, earthquake, the name of a hill, a part of the E phraira range, on the 
north side of which Joshua was buried, Josh, xxiv, 30; Judg. ii, 9. Men- 
tion is made of the brooks of Gaash, 2 Sam. xxiii, 30; 1 Chron. xi, 32. It is 
not identified. 

Ga'ba, hill, a city of Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 24; Ezra ii, 26; Neh. vii, 30. 
The same as Geba, which see. 

Gab'batha, platform or elevated place, the bema or judgment-seat of Pilate, 
John xix, 13. It was outside of the judgment-hall, where the Jews re- 
mained during the Saviour's trial. The "pavement" was probably some 
mosaic or tessellated work, forming either the bema itself or the flooring of 
the court immediately round it. 

Gab'des, 1 Esdras v, 20. A form of Gaba. 

Gad, (Map 5,) The best authorities are divided as to the meaning of Gad. 
Some claim it to signify a troop ; while others, (among whom is Gesenius,) 
make it fortune, or good fortune. The Septuagint has hv rvxVi in fortune; the 
Yulgate feliciter, (in felicity,) Gen. xxx, 11; xlvi, 16; xlix, 19. The tribe of 
Gad sprang from one of the sons of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah's maid, Gen. xxx, 
10, 11. At the first census in the wilderness the descendants of Gad had 
multiplied to forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty, Num. i, 14, 24, 25. 
They were attached to the second division of the Israelitish host, following 
the standard of Reuben, and camping on the south of the tabernacle, theif 
chief being Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, or Reuel, Num. i, 12; ii, 24, 25; iii, 
10-16. At the second census, on the plains of Moab, the tribe numbered 
but forty thousand five hundred, Num. xxvi, 15-18. After the Israelites 
had subdued the country east of the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben and Gad 
desired to settle there. It was a land, they said, adapted for cattle, and 
they had ;i much cattle." Moses was at first displeased with the request, 
thinking it might discourage the rest of the people, and perhaps bring upon 
the nation a fresh judgment from the Lord. But on being assured that the 
tribes, if their wish were granted, would dispatch their able-bodied men to 
aid in the conquest of Canaan, Moses gave his consent, and distributed the 
territories of Og and Sihon among the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half- 
Manasseh, though the last-named people do not appear to have joined in the 
request when first made to Moses, Num. xxxii, 1-33. See Reuben". 

The precise limits of Gad are not exactly given. Their territory appears to 
have lain chiefly about the center of the land east of the Jordan. Reuben's 
possessions lay on the south. On the east the farthest landmark given is 
" Aroer, that faces Rabbah," the present Amman, Josh, xiii, 25. Thus the 
Arabian desert appears to have been the eastern boundary. West was the 
Jordan, Josh, xiii, 27. The northern boundary is more difficult. Gad pos- 
sessed the whole Jordan valley as far as the Sea of Galilee, but among the 
mountains eastward the territory extended no farther north than tho river 
Jabbok. The border seems tc have run diagonally from that point across 
Ihd mountains by Mahanaim, to the southern extremity of the Sea of Galilee, 
Josh, xii, 1-6; xiii, 26, 30, 31 , Deut. iii, 12, 13. Heshbon, though some- 
times reckoned to Reuben, (Josh, xiii, 17,) as being on the border of the two 
contiguous tribes, must really have belonged to Gad, Josh, xxi, 38, 39. 

Moses' blessing on Gad is recorded in Deut. xxxiii, 20, 21. After their 
settlement, faithfully did the trans- Jordanic tribes perform their promise of 
aiding their brethren in the conquest of Canaan ; and when they returned to 
their own cities with Joshua's blessing, enriched with large spoil. (Nuin 



136 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

xxxii, 16-32; Josli. i, 12-18; iv, 12, 13; xxii, 1-8;) they built an altar of 
witness called Ed, Josh, xxii, 10-34. Later, the seat of Ish-Bosheth's sov- 
ereignty was established in this territory, for Abner brought him to Maha- 
naim, and there he reigned, 2 Sam. ii, 8; and there he was assassinated. 
The Gadites, however, could not have been very enthusiastic in favor of the 
house of Saul ; for many chiefs, bold, enterprising men, expressing very well 
the general characteristics of the tribe, had joined David while in hold, 
1 Chron. xii, 8. And when, a few years later, David was obliged to h\?e 
across the Jordan on account of Absalom's rebellion, he found a secure 
position in Mahanaim, while the country round manifested their attachment 
to him, and supplied him with abundant stores, 2 Sam. xvii, 24, 27-29. 
Solomon had commissariat officers in Gad, 1 Kings iv, 13, 14, 19. In 
1 Chron. v, the genealogies of the tribe are noted till the days of Jeroboam II., 
king of Israel, and Jotham King of Judah ; and there is an account of a raid 
made by Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, with a force of forty-four thousand 
seven hundred and sixty, upon the Hagarites of Jetur, Nephish, and Nodab, 
Ishmaelite clans, in which they took a vast deal of booty, and occupied the 
country they had invaded. In the division of the kingdom, Gad, of course, 
fell to the northern State, and many of the wars between Syria and Israel 
must have ravaged its territor}^ 2 Kings x, 33. Ramoth-Gilead is repeatedly 
mentioned as the center of engagements, 1 Kings xxii; 2 Kings viii, 28, 29; 
ix, 14. At last, for the sins of the people, Tiglath-Pileser carried the Gadites 
and the neighboring tribes away captive into Assyria, 2 Kings xvi, 29; 
1 Chron. v, 2G; and it is the mournful lament of Jeremiah that Amnion 
occupied the lost cities of Gad, Jer. xlix, 1. 

Gad'ara. See Gadarexes. 

Gad'arenes'. The inhabitants of the city of Gad'ara. (See Maps 5, 21.) 
In Mark v, 1, and Luke viii, 26, the term employed is Tadaprivuv, Gadarenes, 
while in Matt, viii, 28, the word is Tepyearjvcjv, Gergesenes. The term 
Tepacrjvuv, Gerasenes, is found in some MSS. A noted miracle was wrought 
by Christ in their " country," and the Gadarenes asked him to depart. (See 
the three passages above cited.) 

" In consequence of various readings it is uncertain whether it was near 
this city [Gadara] that the demoniacs were cured ; the preponderance of the 
evidence, however, is in favor of the vicinity of Gadara." — Herzog. Porter, 
(in Kitto) in reference to MS. authorities for the text of Matthew's Gospel, 
says : " We must implicitly follow the most ancient and credible testimony, 
which clearly pronounces in favor of TadapijvcJv. [Gadarenes.] This read- 
ing is adopted by Tischendorf, Alford, and Tregelles." 

Gadara was a large and splendid city, and lay on a hill south of the river 
llieromax, ( Yarmuk.) about six miles south-east of the southern extremity 
of the Sea of Galilee, and about sixteen miles from Tiberias. Dr. Thomson 
objects that Gadara is too far from the lake, and thinks the miracle must 
have been performed at a place called Kerza or Gersa, which he supposes to 
be the ancient Gergesa But it will be noticed that the Gospel narrative 
does not claim that the city of the Gadarenes was near the shore of the lake. 
Christ crossed the 'Sea of Galilee "to the territory of the Gadarenes," which 
extended down to the shore. In the time of Christ Gerasa was the capital 
of northern Peraea, and its province included that of Gadara. It is not 
stated where the swine were feeding, but the place was near the scene of 
the miracle, and most probably on the high point of land which separates the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 137 

ravine of the Hieromax from the lake. From that point there is a long and 
"steep" descent to the shore, and down into this the swine may have 
rushed. The site of the city of Gadara is identified with the extensive and 
remarkable ruins of Uni Keis, which occupy a circuit of about two miles. 
The inhabitants are still "dwelling in tombs." While not a house, column, 
nor wall remains, yet the old pavement of the streets is almost perfect, 
showing the marks of the chariot wheels in the stones. The tombs are ex- 
cavated in the limestone rocks, and consist of chambers of various sizes, 
some abovo twenty feet square, with deep recesses in the side for bodies. 
See Gerasa. Gekgesa. See Kitto and Smith, and Porter's Hand-book for 
Syria and Palestine ; Our Work in Palestine, pp. 194, 195. 

Gad'ites, persons of the tribe of Gad, Deut. hi, 12, 16; iv, 43; xxix, 8; 
Josh. i. 12, etc. 

Gal'aad, the Greek form of Gilead, 1 Mace, v, 9, 17, 20, 25, 27, 36, 45, 
55 ; xiii, 22 ; Judith i, 8 ; xv, 5. 

Gala tia, (Map 8,) a country in Asia Minor. The name is derived from its 
inhabitants, who originally emigrated from Gallia. From Gallia these people 
first went into Greece, and after fierce contests with the Greeks, were forced 
to retire to the shores of the Hellespont. Finding a footing in Asia Minor, 
their country was called Galatia; and at length, because the prevailing lan- 
guage of the district was Greek, it was also termed Gallo-Gnecia. It is not 
always easy to determine in what sense the word Galatia is used in the New 
Testament. Sometimes a geographical name is used in a general and popular 
sense as referring to a region inhabited by a race or tribe of people, and 
sometimes to define precisely some tract of country marked out for political 
purposes. Thus, Galatia is used by Luke in Acts xvi, 6, to denote the 
country inhabited or possessed by the Eastern Galli. In 1 Pet. i, 1, Galatia 
is mentioned among several^ftoman provinces; hence, we may conclude that 
the term is employed to indicate the later Roman province. This province 
was bounded, according to Ptolemy, on the west by Bithynia and Phrygia; 
on the south by Pamphylia ; on the east by Cappadocia and Pontus ; and on 
the north by the Euxine. The boundaries have not always remained the 
same; indeed, they were frequently changing. The three capitals were 
respectively Tavium, Pessinus, and Ancyra. The last of these (the modern 
Angora) was the center of the roads of the district, and may be regarded as 
the metropolis of the Galatians. These people were fierce, restless, and 
warlike. Impatient of restraint, they eagerly seized every opportunity to 
throw off the Roman yoke. They appear to have had little religion of their 
own, and they readily adopted the superstitions of the Phrygians and the 
mythology of the Greeks. 

Paul introduced the Gospel into Galatia, visiting the " churches " on hia 
second and third missionary tours, Acts xvi, 6; xviii, 23; Gal. i, 6; iv, 13; 
although his labors are not reported in Acts. The congregations, though 
chiefly composed of heathen, (Gal. iv, 8, etc.; v, 2; vi. 12,) are mentioned in 
1 Cor. xvi, 1 ; 2 Tim. iv, 10 ; 1 Pet. i, 1. Disturbances caused by Judaizing 
teachers called forth Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, after he had failed, 
during his second visit, (Acts xviii, 2, 3; Gal. iv, 13, 16: i, 9,) fully to allay 
the strife. The epistle was addressed to the Churches in Galatia proper, 
not to those in the previously enlarged domains, Acts xiv, 6, 24; xv, 38; 
compare xvi, 6. See Conybeare and Howson's Life and Epistles of St. Paul. 

Galatians, Gal. hi, 1. Inhabitants of Galatia. The word oosurs hi the 

7 



13S BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Ma~cabeau history, 1 Mace, viii, 20. In the first of these places some sup- 
pose that the reference is to the Gauls ; but the defeat of the Galatians by 
the Roman Consul Yulso, 189 B. 0., is more likely intended. 

Gal'eed, (Map 5,) heap of witness, the name given by Jacob to the toeap 
of stones on Mount Gilead, raised as a memorial of the covenant made be- 
tween Jacob and Laban, Gen. xxxi, 47, 48 ; compare 23, 25. See G-ilead ; 
Jegar-Sahadutha. 

Gal gala, the Greek fonr of Gilgal, 1 Mace, ix, 2. 

Galileans, inhabitants of Galilee. They were partly heathen. Thia 
mixture seems to have had a modifying influence upon their religious views, 
so as to render them more susceptible to the truths proclaimed by Christ, 
than the more bigoted Israelites of Judea. Josephus describes them as an 
industrious, spirited, brave people. Though adhering firmly to Judaism, 
they were less prejudiced than their brethren in Judea, and persevering iu 
whatever they embraced ; hence, they were readily incited to insurrections, 
Acts v, 37 ; compare Luke xiii, 1. The other Jews despised the Galileans, 
partly because they were thought not to be Jews of pure blood, partly be- 
cause they were suspected of holding erroneous doctrines, and partly for 
their broad dialect, John vii, 52 ; Acts ii, 7 ; Matt, xxvi, 73; Mark xiv, 70; 
Luke xxii 59. It is probable that the contempt in which they were held 
led the Saviour to regard them with compassion, and to prefer them as the 
foundation of his kingdom, John ii, 24, 25 ; Matt, xi, 25, etc. See Galilee. 

Galilee, (Map 5,) a circle, circuit A name given in the Old Testament to 
a small " circuit " among the mountains of Naphtali, and in the New Testa- 
ment to a large province embracing the whole of northern Palestine. It is 
first mentioned by Joshua, Josh, xx, 7. Its limited extent is indicated in 
2 Bangs xv, 29, where, in detailing the conquests of Tiglath-Pileser, the his- 
torian states that "he took ljou, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and Janoah, and 
Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali." Hence, 
Galilee did not extend beyond the bounds of Naphtali ; and a comparison 
with other passages shows that it embraced only the northern section of 
that tribe, or, at least, that the name was at first confined to that district, 
Josh, xx, 7 ; xxi, 32. The region thus lay on the summit of a broad mount- 
ain ridge. At the time that Solomon oflfcred the towns of Galilee to King 
Hiram, [see Cabul — and compare 1 Kings ix, 11, and 2 Chron. viii, 2,] 
Galilee, though within the allotted territory of Naphtali, does not appear to 
have been occupied by the Israelites. It was only after Hiram had declined 
the towns that Solomon rebuilt and colonized them, (2 Chron. viii, 2, etc.) 
In Isaiah's time it was still called "Galilee of the Gentiles," Isa ix, 1. In 
1 Mace, v, 21-23, "Galilee of the Gentiles" is said to have had a large 
heathen population. 

In the time of Christ Palestine was divided into three provinces, Jud^a, 
Samaria, and Galilee. Josephus divides Galilee into Upper and Lower, 
"which are environed by Phoenicia and Syria." 

The province of Galilee is about fifty miles long by twenty-five wide. 
Lower Galilee included the great plain of Esdraelon, with its offshoots, which 
run down to the Jordan and the Lake of Tiberias, and the whole of the hill 
country adjoining it on the north to the foot of the mountain-range. On the 
extreme south it extended as far as the village of Ginea, (modern Jenin,) 
and as both Asbela and Jotopata were in Lower Galilee, we conclude that 
this lower division included the whole region extending from the plain of 




THE SEA OF GALILEE. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 141 

Akka in the west, to the shores of the lake on the east. This was one of 
the richest and most beautiful sections of Palestine. 

Upper Galilee embraced the whole mountain range lying between the 
Upper Jordan and Phoenicia. Its southern border ran along the foot of tho 
Safed range, from the north-west angle of the Sea of Galilee to the plain of 
Akka. This was the " Galilee of the Gentiles " above alluded to. For the 
character of the people (which throws much light on Christ's work in this 
country) see Galileans. 

There are many Scripture references to Galilee. To the Bible student the 
towns, the country, the Sea of Galilee, are full of interest. (See Sea of 
Galilee.) The chief allusions to Galilee: Herod tetrarch of, Luke iii, 1; 
Mark vi, 21; Luke xxiii, 6, 7. Christ resided in, Matt, xvii, 22; xix, 1; 
John vii, 1, 9. Christ's teaching and miracles, Matt, iv, 23, 25; xv, 29-31; 
Mark i, 14, 28, 39; iii, 7; Luke iv, 14, 44; v, 17; xxiii, 5; John i, 43; iv, 3, 
43-45; Acts x, 37. The disciples chiefly from Galilee, Acts i, 11; ii, 7. 
Women from, ministered to Christ, Matt, xxvii, 55, 56; Mark xv, 41; Luke 
xxii, 49, 55. Christ appeared to his disciples in Galilee after his resurrec- 
tion, Matt, xxvi, 32; xxviii, 7, 10, 16, 17; Mark xiv, 28; xvi, 7; John xxl, 
Churches in, Acts ix, 31. Dialect of, Mark xiv, 70. 

The first three Gospels are chiefly taken up with Christ's works in Galilee, 
while John dwells more upon those in Judea. The vineyard, the fig-tree, 
the shepherd, the desert, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, were all ap- 
propriate in Judea; while the corn-fields, the fisheries, the merchants and 
flowers, (all referred to in above passages,) were equally- appropriate in 
Galilee. Galilee was very populous ; Josephus, who knew the province so 
well, speaks of "two hundred and four towns and villages, the smallest of 
them containing above fifteen thousand inhabitants." The population of 
this whole district, it is thought, must have been at least three millions. 
There was doubtless more life and bustle in Galilee than in Judea, and 
hence it was a more hopeful field for the labors of Jesus, who spent so great 
a part of his ministry there. See Dr. Hanna's Life of our Lord. 

After the destruction of Jerusalem Galilee became the chief seat of Jewish 
schools of learning, and the residence of their most celebrated Rabbins. 
Remains of splendid synagogues still exist in many of the old towns and 
villages, showing that from the second to the seventh century the Jews were 
as prosperous as they were numerous. See Porter's Hand-book. 

Galilee, Sea of, (Maps 5, 21.) Names. The Hebrew word Galil, 
which is the origin of the later " Galilee," signifies a circuit or circle. This 
body of water is known by several other names: "Sea of Tiberias," John 
vi, 1 ; xxi, 1, from the celebrated city on its shores of that name; "Sea" 
or " Lake of Gennesareth," or " Gennesaret," Luke v, 1 ; (in 1 Mace, xi, 67, the 
" Water of Gennesar,") from the beautiful and fertile plain of Gennesaret, ad- 
joining the lake. In Matt, iv, 15, emphatically "The Sea." In the Old 
Testament the "Sea of Chinnereth," Num. xxxiv, 11 ; Deut. iii, 17 ; or " Cin- 
neroth," Josh, xii, 3, from a town of that name which stood on or near its 
shore, Josh, xix, 3b. 

Situation. This lake, or sea, lies in the northern part of Palestine, 
in the province of Galilee. In shape it is oval, being about fourteen miles 
loig and seven miles wide in the widest part. The river Jordan enters it 
at its northern end, and passes out at its southern end, the bed of the lake 
being simply a lower section of the great Jordan valley. Its level is six 



142 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

hundred and fifty-three feet below the level of the Mediterranean. It occu- 
pies the bottom of a great volcanic basin. The banks on the east are nearly 
two thousand feet high, deeply furrowed by ravines, but quite flat along the 
summit, forming, in fact, the supporting wall of the table-land of Bashan. 
On the north from this table-land the descent is gradual down to the valley 
of the Jordan, and then a gradual rise to a plateau of nearly equal elevation, 
skirt.ng the mountains of Upper Galilee. On the west the banks are less 
regular, but present the same general features, plateaus of different altitudes 
breaking down abruptly to the shore. 

Bible Allusions In Num. xxxiv, 11, in describing the borders of 
Israel, "the border shall descend, and reach unto the side of the Sea of 
Chinnereth eastward ; " in Deut. iii, 17, " from Chinnereth even unto the 
Sea of the Plain, even the Salt Sea." In describing the bounds of God : s 
inheritance, "even unto the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth," Josh, xiii, 27. 
Reference to Sihon's territory, Josh, xii, 3. The place where "Jonathan 
and his host" pitched, 1 Mace, xi, 67. In the Old Testament the allusions 
are but few, and only incidental. Those of the New Testament are many, 
and in connection with important events. 

Bible Events. Our blessed Lord spent the most of his public life near 
the Sea of Galilee. "His own city" stood on its shores, Matt, iv, 13; here 
he called his first disciples, Luke v, 1-11; Matt, iv, 18-22; Mark i, 16-20. 
From a ship on its waters he " spoke many things " in parables to the mul- 
titude, Matt, xiii, 1-3. Mighty miracles were wrought here, Matt, viii, 24-32 ; 
xiv, 22-33 ; xvii, 27 ; Mark vii, 31-35 ; John xxi, 6. One of the most touch- 
ing incidents of Gospel history, recorded in John xxi, 9-25, occurred on the 
shores of the Sea of Tiberias soon after Christ's resurrection. Not less than 
nine cities stood on the borders of this lake, most of which are intimately 
related to the works of Jesus as he went to and fro from one side to the 
other. Chief among these were Capernaum, Chorazin, Tiberias, Magdala, 
and the two Bethsaidas. The deep interest of the Christian in this place is 
beautifully expressed in a poem by M'Cheyne. We give a few stanzas : 

"How pleasant to me thy deep blue wave, 

O Sea of Galilee ! 
For the Glorious One who came to save 

Hath often stood by thee. 

" Fair are the lakes in the land I love, 

"Where pine and heather grow ; 
But thou hast loveliness above 

What nature can bestow. 

****** 
44 Graceful around thee the mountains meet, 

Thou calm reposing sea ; 
But ah, far more ! the beautiful feet 

Of Jesus walked o'er thee. 

" Those days are past — Bethsaida where ? 

Chorasin, where art thou ? 
His tent the wild Arab pitches there, 

The wild reeds shade thy brow. 

****** 
44 O Saviour, gone to God's right hand, 

Yet the same Saviour still, 
Graved on thy heart is this lovely strand, 

And every fragrant hill." 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 143 

Present Condition, etc. The modern name is Bahr Tubariyeh. Al- 
though the Jordan rushes into its northern end, a turbid, muddy torrent, 
and many warm and brackish springs flow into it, nevertheless the water of 
the lake is sweet, cool, and transparent, and has a beautiful sparkling look on 
the beach, which is every-where pebbly. It still abounds in fish, as an- 
ciently. Often, as with mountain lakes generally, it is suddenly and vio- 
lently agitated by winds, Matt, viii, 22-27. The scenery around is destitute 
of grandeur, beauty, and variety. The shores are singularly uniform, hav- 
ing neither bold cliffs juttting outward, nor bays winding inward. During 
the summer months the heat is intense. There is no frost, and snow rarely 
falls. The fishing is greatly neglected, yet the government receives a consider- 
able sum for the privilege of fishing. In 1858 ''the Sea of Galilee could 
just boast of one small boat," and that was rotten and leaky. All around 
the sea silence and desolation reign. A recent traveler says : " It seems as 
if all nature had gozQ to rest, languishing under that scorching heat. How 
different it was in the days of our Lord ! . . . The cities are in ruins. . . . 
Tiberias and Magdala are the only inhabited spots. . . . The few inhab- 
itants that remain in the shattered houses of Tiberias and the mud hovels 
of Magdala, and the black tents of the wandering Bedouin, seem worn and 
wasted by poverty and sickness." 

Gal'lim, heaps, or, perhaps, fountains. A little village, the native place 
of Phalti, to whom David's wife, Michal, had been given, 1 Sam. xxv. 44. 
From Isa. x, 30, we may infer chat it was in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem. 
Porter says it must have been situated on the brow of one of those rocky 
glens which run down into the wilderness east of Gibeah and north of 
Anathoth. But it has not been identified. 

Ga'reb, The Hill, a hill near Jerusalem, Jer. xxxi, 39. The signification 
is scabby, from the root meaning to scratch. Hence some have supposed this 
hill to be the place to which lepers were sent out of the city. Dr. Barclay 
makes it " the ridge running from the north-west corner of the city in the 
direction of Wely Kamat." 

Gar'izim, the Greek form of Gerizim, 2 Mace, v, 23 ; vi, 2. 

Ga'tam. Gesenius gives the meaning, one puny or thin ; Fiirst translates 
it burnt or parched vale. The name of an Edomite tribe descended from one 
of Esau's sons, Gen. xxxvi, 11, 16 ; 1 Chron. i, 36. Their locality is not 
known. 

Gath, (Map 5,) a wine-press, one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, 
Josh, xiii, 3 ; 1 Sam. vi, 17 ; Amos vi, 2; Micah i, 10. Its site has been a 
subject of much dispute among geographers. Mr. Porter says that one ob- 
ject of his visit to Philistia was to identify, if possible, the site of this ancient 
city. He concluded that Gath stood upon the hill called by the Crusaders 
Alba Specula, and now Tell es-Safieh. It is about seven miles from Beth- 
shemesh, eight from Shochoh, toward Ekron, and six north of Eleutherop- 
olis. The site is a most commanding one, and would form when fortified 
the key of Philistia. It is close to the mountains of Judah. Most of the 
best authorities are inclined to agree with Mr. Porter, (see Grove's Index, 
and Herzog ;) out Thomson seeks to show that Gath was the ancient name 
of Eleutheropolis. The Anakim were ancient inhabitants of Gath, Josh, 
xi, 22. Goliath and his sons dwelt there, 1 Sam. xvii, 4 ; 1 Chron. xx. 5-8. 
Thither the ark was taken, 1 Sam. v, 8. 

David took refuge there with Achish, the king, 1 Sam. xxi, 10-15 ; xvii, 



14:4: BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

2-7. A band of Gittites, under Ittai, joined David here, 2 Sam. xv, 18-22 ; 
xviii, 2. Taken by David, 1 Chron. xviii, 1. Shimei brought his servants from, 

1 Kings ii, 39-41. Fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 8. Taken by Hazael, 

2 Kings xii, 17. Recovered by Jehoash, 2 Kings xiii, 25. Besieged by 
Uzziah, 2 Chron. xxvi, 6. 

The hill or Tell upon which Mr. Porter claims to have found Gath. is 
about two hundred feet high, with steep sides, now in part terraced for 
vineyards. On the summit are the foundations of an old castle, probably 
that built, or rebuilt, by the Crusaders; and all round the hill are great- 
quantities of old building stones. On the north-east is a projecting shoulder, 
and the declivities below it appear to have been scarped. Here stands the 
modern village. Its houses are all composed of ancient materials, and around 
are ruins and fragments of columns. Many cisterns are found in the sides 
of the hill, excavated in the limestone rock. See Porter's Hand-book. 

G-ath-He'pher, the wine-press of the well, (in Josh, xix, 13, called Gittah- 
Hepher,) a town on the border of Zebulun, celebrated as the native place of 
the Prophet Jonah, 2 Kings xiv, 25. About two miles east of Sefarieh, 
(Sepphoris, Map 20,) on the top of a rocky hill, nov, itands the little village 
of el-Meshhad, in which is a tomb which tradition declares to be the tomb of 
Jonah. This village, very probably, marks the site of Gath-Hepher. 

Gath-Rim'mon, wine-press of the pomegranate. 1. A city of Dan given 
to the Levites, Josh, xxi, 24 ; 1 Chron. vi, 69 ; situated on the plain of Pliil- 
istia, apparently not far from Joppa, Josh, xix, 45. On Kiepert's map it is 
placed a short distance south-east from Ekron; but the site has not been 
identified. 

2. A town of the half-tribe of Manasseh, west of the Jordan, assigned to 
the Levites, Josh, xxi, 25. In the parallel passage in 1 Chron. vi, 70, this 
place is called Bileam, which see. 

GaulonT tis. See Golan. 

Ga'za, (Hebrew, Azzah,) (Map 5,) the strong, the capital and stronghold 
of the Philistines, and among the most ancient cities of Palestine, Josh, 
xiii, 3; Jer. xxv, 20; Gen. x, 19; and one of the oldest in the world. It is 
on the southern frontier of Palestine, in a sandy plain three miles from the 
sea. Gaza was an important city before the time of Abraham, Gen. x. It 
was inhabited by the Avims, Deut. ii, 23; and the Anakims, Josh, xi, 22. 
Gaza fell to the lot of Judah, Josh, xv, 47 ; and was taken by him, Judges 
i, 18; but its inhabitants were not exterminated, Judges hi, 3. 

For the interesting and remarkable narrative concerning Samson, his feats 
of strength, his imprisonment, and his destruction of himself and the people 
of Gaza, see Judges xvi. Gaza was possessed by Solomon, 1 Kings iv, 24. 
Taken by Pharaoh, Jer. xlvii, 1, 5. Prophecies against it, Amos i, 6, 7 ; 
Zeph. ii, 4 ; Zech. ix, 5 ; Jer. xlvii, 5. 

The passage in Acts viii, 26, probably refers to the road on whbh Philip 
should find the eunuch. Several roads led to Gaza. The angel directs 
Philip to take the/ way "which is desert," that is, having no towns,, unin- 
habited. Dr. Robinson found " water " on the most " southern " read to 
Gaza, in the midst of the country now without any fixed habitations. 

The time of the conquest of Gaza by the Philistines is not known, but it 
must have been long before the time of Abraham. The terrible prophecies 
against this city have been remarkably fulfilled. Pharaoh -Necho smote it; 
Alexander the Great took it after a five-months' siege. It still continued, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 145 

however, a strong city, and is frequently mentioned in the Maccabean 
wars, 1 Mace, xi, 61 ; xiii, 43. It was destroyed by Alexander Jaunaeus, 96 
B. C. ; but it was shortly rebuilt. It was given by Augustus to Herod, and 
after his death included in the province of Syria. About A. D. 65 Gaza 
was laid in ruins by the Jews, in revenge for the massacre of their brethren 
in Cassarea. Recovering soon again, it was one of the chief cities of Syria 
during the reigns of Titus and Adrian. 

This city long remained a stronghold of idolatry, although Christianity was 
there early introduced. In the beginning of the fifth century its bishop re- 
ceived authority to demolish its temples and build a large Christian Church. 
1^ A. D. 634 Gaza was taken by the Moslems, and its splendid church 
turned into a mosque. From this period it gradually declined, and the Cru- 
saders found it deserted. They built a castle on the hill, which became the 
nucleus of a new town. The hill seems to be composed in a great measure 
of rubbish, the debris of ancient structures, among which are found broken 
arches, pieces of walls, and heavy masses of masonry. 

The modern name of the place is Ghuzzeh. It contains about fifteen 
thousand inhabitants, of whom two hundred to three hundred are Chris- 
tians and the rest Mohammedans. The town has no gates, no fortifications, 
no defenses of any kind. Tradition still points out the position of one of the 
ancient gates whose doors, posts, and bars Samson carried off. 

Gaza'ra, or Gaz'ara, 1 Mace, ix, 52; xiii, 53; xiv, 7, 34; xv, 28. Else- 
where Gazera, or both probably identical with Gazer or Gezer. 

Ga'zathites, Josh, xiii, 3. Natives of Gaza. 

Gazer, 2 Sam. v, 25; 1 Chron. xiv, 16. The same as Gezer. 

Gaze'ra, 1 Mace, iv, 15; vii, 45. Elsewhere Gazara. See Gezer. 

Gaz'ites, or Ga'zites, Judges xvi, 2. Natives of Gaza. 

Ge'ba, (Map 6,) hill. 1. A city of Benjamin (also called Gaba) given to 
the priests, Josh, xviii, 24; xxi, 17; 1 Chron. vi, 60. It was held for a 
time by the Philistines; but Jonathan, the son of Saul, took it, and the 
Philistines soon afterward assembled in great force at Michmash, 1 Sam. 
xiii, 3, 16. The Israelites, under Saul, took up a strong position at Geba. 
The two armies were separated by the deep ravine called the " passage of 
Michmash." A singular contest ensued, and the Philistines fled in confusion, 
and were driven from the mountains, 1 Sam. xiii, 17; xiv, 5-23. (In the 
fifth verse, just referred to, the A. V. has Gibeah, but the original is Geba.) 
Geba was fortified by Asa, 2 Kings xxiii, 8; 1 Kings xv, 22. It is referred 
to by Isaiah in describing Sennacherib's march to Jerusalem, Isa. x. The 
place was occupied by Benjamites after the captivity, Ezra ii, 26. 

Geba is identified with the modern small village of Jeba, which is found 
on the top of a rocky ridge about six miles north of Jerusalem, and a mile 
south of Michmash. The latter occupies another ridge, and the wild glen 
of SuweinU separates it from Jeba. Most of the houses of Jeba are half 
ruinous. A. few remains of antiquity can be traced hi the large hewn stones 
that appear in the foundations and walls of the modern houses. See Gibeah. 

2. Judith hi, 10. Probably the site is marked by modern Jtba, a large 
village, with evident traces of antiquity, on the brow of the hill, three or four 
miles north-east of the city of Samaria, (Schastiyeh.) 

Ge'bal, mountain. 1. A name occurring in Psalm lxxxiii, 7, as confed- 
erate with many enemies of Israel. It is generally supposed to indicate the 
mountainous tract extending from the Dead Sea southward to Petra, still 



146 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

named Jebdl. But some of the best writers identify it with No. 2, as men- 
tioned in conjunction with Tyre. The confederacy referred to was probably 
that against Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx, 1, 2. The psalm might have been 
composed on that occasion : it is ascribed to Asaph ; and one of the family 
of Asaph was inspired to encourage the Jewish king with the assurance of 
victory, (14-17.) 

2. A place spoken of in connection with Tyre, Ezek. xxvii, 9. Most prob- 
ably the residence of the Giblites, and therefore to the north of Palestine, 
Josh, xiii, 5. The Giblites were employed by Hiram, king of Tyre, in pre- 
paring materials for Solomon's Temple, 1 Kings v, 18, margin. 

The Greek name of this place was Byblus. The town is now called Jebeil, 
and has a population of about six hundred. It is about seventeen miles 
north of Beyroot. The ancient ruins are very extensive. Immense numbers 
of granite columns are strewn about in the village and over the surrounding 
fields. These columns are mostly small, varying from one foot to two feet 
in diameter. Some of the stones measure nearly twenty feet in length. The 
citadel is the most remarkable ruin. The port is nearly choked up with sand 
and ruins. 

Ge'bim, the ditches, or wells, a place in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, 
mentioned only in* Isa. x, 31. It is supposed to have been between Arathoth 
and Nob. 

Ge'der, a wall, a city of Palestine whose king was one of those overcome 
by Joshua, Josh, xii, 13. It may be identical with Gedor No. 2, which see. 

Gede'rah, the sheep-cot, a town in the low country of Judah, Josh, xv, 36; 
1 Chron. xii, 4. Probably it was between Diospolis (Lydda) and Eleurhe- 
ropolis, but there is no identification. Grove says it is possibly now Kuti ah, 
a place found on Murray's Hand-book map, not far from Ekron. 

Gede'roth, sheep-folds, a city in the plain country of Judah, Josh, xv, 41, 
and one of those which the Philistines took from King Ahaz, 2 Chron. 
xxviii, 18. Possibly the site may be marked by the modern Beit-Tima, shown 
on Van de Velde's map as six miles east of Askelon. 

Gederotha'im, two sheep-folds, a town in the low land of Judah, Josh 
xv, 36, named next in order to Gederah. Not known. 

Ge'dor, wall, 1. A town in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 58, grouped 
with HaDiul and Bethzur. Probably Jedur, on the crest of a high ridge, eigln 
miles north of Hebron, and about two west of the road leading to Jerusalem, 
may mark the site. 

2. A town, apparently in Benjamin, to which belonged "Jeroham of 
Gedor," whose sons joined David, 1 Chron. xii, 7. It was probably the same 
as the Geder of Josh, xii, 13. ' The site is not known. 

3. A place in the south of Judah, 1 Chron. iv, 39. It may have been in 
the direction of Mount Seir. But some read Gerar, as the Septuagiut 
(loth MSS.) has Gerar for Gedor. 

Gehen'na. See Hinnom, Valley of. 

Geliloth, circles, circuits, or borders. A place mentioned in describing 
the boundary of Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 17. But when the same frontier is 
elsewhere described we find Gilgal, xv, 7. Geliloth was therefore either an 
other name for Gilgal, or it appears by a transcriber's error. 

Genne'sar, The Water of, 1 Mace, xi, 67. See Galilee, Sea of. 

Genes'areth, or Gennes'aret, Sea of, Mark vi, 53 ; Luke v, 1. See 
Galilee, Sea of. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



147 




THE LAND OF GENNESARET. 



Gennes'aret, or Genes'areth, 

Land of, Matt, xiv, 34 ; Mark vi, 54. 
Concerning the meaning of the § 
name, the two conjectures most § 
commonly received are, 1. Valley of i§ 
flowers ; 2. (and perhaps, with more 
probability,) The gardens of the 
prince. This "land" was a small 
district of Galilee lying on the west- 
ern shore of the lake, near Caper- 
naum, John vi, 15-25 ; Mark vi, 
45-56; Matt, xiv, 34. Mr. Porter 
says it is a green crescent-shaped 
plain extending along the shore for 
three miles, its greatest breadth 
being about one mile. It is now 
called el Ghuweir, " the Little Ghor." 
The soil is extremely fertile, but 
only small patches are cultivated. 
The melons and cucumbers grown 
here are still the best and earliest in Palestine, and are always first in the 
markets of Damascus, Acre, and Beyroot. 

Ge'on, the Greek form of Gihon, the river, Ecclesiasticus. xxiv, 27. 

Ge'rar, (Map 5,) a lodging-place, or region, or perhaps water-pots; a city 
and district on the southernmost borders of Palestine, in the country of the 
Philistines, and not far from Gaza, Gen. x, 19. It was visited by Abraham 
after the destruction of Sodom, Gen. xx, 1, and by Isaac when there was a 
dearth in the rest of Canaan, Gen. xxvi, 1. It was here that these two 
patriarchs both committed the sin of falsehood. The Valley of Gerar is 
mentioned in Gen. xxvi, 17. Gerar was the seat of the first Philistine king- 
dom that we read of, and gave name to it. It was still an important place 
in later times, 2 Chron. xiv, 13, 14. 

Eusebius and Jerome place Gerar twenty-five Roman miles southward 
from Eleutheropolis. Dr. Robinson was unable to find any traces of it. The 
Valley of Gerar has been thought to be the modern Wady es-Sheriah. Mr. 
Wilton, however, believes this valley, to which Isaac retired at the sugges- 
tion of Abimelech, to be the Wady el-Jer&r, much more to the south. Porter 
(Hand-book, 1868, p. 250) says of Gerar: "It appears that the site of this 
ancient city has been found, but unfortunately its discoverer has given a 
very meager account of it. It lies in a shallow wady three hours south-south- 
east of Gaza, and is called Khirbet el- Gerar, 'the ruins of Gerar.' At the 
spot are ' traces of an ancient city.' This is all the information given by the 
Rev. J. Rowlands, who, so far as I know, is the only person who Las yet 
visited it." 

Ger'asa, (Map 20,) the name of a city (which does not occur in the Bible) 
in the Decapolis. It formed the eastern boundary of Perea. The ruins of 
Gerasa are the most extensive and beautiful east of the Jordan. Three 
gateways still stand, and within the city upward of two hundred and thirty 
columns remain on their pedestals. Its main street, once lined with colon- 
nades, is still magnificent in decay. Here are found also extensive ruins of 
the forum, temples, theater, and baths. The present name is Jerash. See 
Gadarenes. 



148 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Gergesa, (Map 21.) Origen says a city called Gergesa anciently stood 
on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and that beside it was shown the 
precipice down which the swine rushed. Mr. Porter thinks this " looks like 
a bold hypothesis to get over a difficulty." Gergesa, however, is also men- 
tioned by Eusebius and Jerome. Clark's Bible Atlas (1868) puts it down, as 
located in our Maps 5 and 21, on the Wady Semakh; and Clark says: "But 
the surveyors of the recent exploring expedition have visited the ruins of a 
place previously noticed by Thomson, between that spot and the wady which 
is immediately opposite Tiberias, (W. Eik,) now called Khersa, or Gersa, and 
it is most likely that this is the true Gergesa. In Matt, viii, 28, the healing 
of the two demoniacs is said to have taken place in the country of the Ger- 
gesenes, or, according to some MSS., Gerasenes." 

The Report of the expedition just referred to claims that this Khersa is the 
most suitable spot for the scene of the miracle, because " at this particular 
point, and only at this, a spur runs out to the shore." Macgregor, in " Rob 
Roy," speaking of the miracle as occurring at one of the " several steeps" 
near the sea at Khersa, says : " The place which I regard as most likely for 
the site of the event is at the end of the short plain under some rocks, and 
near the green plateau, where the swine could feed. Here, for a full half- 
mile, the beach is of a form different from any other round the lake, and 
from any other I have noticed in any lake or sea before. It is flat until 
close to the edge. There, a hedge of oleanders fringes the end of the plain, 
and immediately below these is a gravel beach, inclined so steep that when 
my boat was at the shore I could not see over the top even by standing up ; 
while the water alongside is so deep that it covered my paddle (seven feet 
long) when dipped in vertically a few feet from the shore." 

Concerning Gadara. Gerasa, Gergesa, and Gersa, and the " various read- 
ings," very much difficulty exists in reference to the place where the de- 
moniacs were healed, aud where the swine rushed into the sea. The best 
and latest authorities differ. See Gadarenes, where very high authorities 
claim Gadara as the city within whose territory the miracle was wrought. 
Gergese'nes, or Ger'gesenes, Matt, viii, 28. See Gadarenes. 
Ger'gesites, Judith v, 16. The Greek form of Girgashites. 
Ger'izim, Mount, (Map 5,) that is, mountain of the Gerizzites, dwellers in 
a shorn (desert) land. See Gerzites. 

A mountain of Ephraim opposite to Mount Ebal, in close proximity to 
Shechem. It became very important in the history of Israel, because from 
it the blessing was pronounced upon the people after the entrance into the 
promised land, Deut. xi, 29; xxvii, 1-13; while from the opposite mountain, 
Ebal, the curse was thundered against all transgressors, Josh, viii, 30-34. 
At Ebal a copy of the law, engraved on limestone tables, was erected in the 
valley, and an altar raised to commemorate the renewal of the covenant 
between Jehovah and Israel, and to receive the first thank-offering for the 
occupation of the land of promise. The priests stood at the altar with their 
faces toward the East ; on the left of these, at Ebal, six of the tribes ; on 
the right, at Gerizim, the other six, and these evidently the most important 
and favored ; these last, as standing on the favored right side of the altar, 
responded to the blessings spoken from the altar with- amen, while the first 
six tribes answered and affirmed the curses. That a greater holiness did 
not at this time already attach to Gerizim above Ebal is evident from 
this, that the altar was erected at Ebal and not at Gerizim, Deut. xxvii, 4 ; 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



U9 



"""HfffHfltifiiffflM 



M 



"^m 




VALr. or NABLUS. J0 T s o E ™ s 

NAB L US JACOB'S WELL 




and the curse was not pronounced 
upon the mountain, nor upon those 
standing upon it, but upon trans- 
gressors of the law. In Judg. ix, 
7—21, we have the noted parable 
which Jotham addressed to the men 
of Shechem from " the top of Mount 
Gerizim." 

After the exile the Samaritans ob- 
tained leave from Darius Nothus to 
erect a temple on Gerizim, and here 
they worshiped till the temple was 
destroyed by Hyrcanus. Still, how- 
ever, they had here an altar, and 
rherished a determined hatred 
against the Jews, John iv, 20, 21. 
At the present day the few remnants 
of this people still living at Nablils 
visit the holy mountain at the four 
yearly festivals, when not prevented 
by Turkish fanaticism. 

The valley between Ebal and Geri- 
zim is very narrow, being but from two hundred to three hundred paces 
wide, with a length of about three miles. Ebal rises on the right, and 
Gerizim on the left hand of the valley, as a person approaches Shechem from 
Jerusalem. Several modern travelers have by experiment established the 
fact that it was very easy for the tribes to hear each other pronounce the 
blessings and the curses. 

Very extensive ruins remain on Gerizim. There is a large stone structure 
which M. De Saulcy and others suppose to be the remains of the Samaritan 
temple. Dr. Robinson and others equally eminent suppose it to be the ruins 
of the fortress of Justinian, but in either case occupying the site of the 
ancient temple. The prospect from this site is not surpassed by any in 
Palestine both for vastness and variety. Gerizim is still to the Samaritans 
what Jerusalem is to the Jews, and Mecca to the Mohammadans. 

A tradition of the Samaritans claims that it was in Gerizim that Abraham 
was called to offer up his son Isaac. This claim cannot be sustained. See 
Moriah. Another tradition declares that Melchizedek met Abraham in 
Gerizim. The only shadow of a claim in favor of it is that there is said 
to be a Shalem or Salem near Shechem, but the Salem of which Melchizedek 
was king was far more probably Jerusalem. See Salem. 

Gerrhe'nians, 2 Mace, xiii, 24. Possibly the people of Gerar, or Gaza. 
Grotius and Winer locate them as probably between Pelusium and Rhino- 
Colura, (Map 2.) 

Ger shonites, The, from Gershon, expulsion, the family descended from 
Gershon or Gershom, the son of Levi, Num. iii, 21, 23, 24; iv, 24, 27; 
xxvi, 57; Josh, xxi, 33; 1 Chron. xxiii, 7; 2 Chron. xxix, 12. "The Ger- 
shonite" was applied to individuals, 1 Chron. xxvi, 21; xxix, 8. During 
the marches in the wilderness the Gershonites carried the vails and curtains 
belonging to the tabernacle, on the western side of which they encamped 
See Levites, 



150 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Ger'zites, The. 1 Sara, xxvii, 8, margin. See Gezrites. 

Ge'sem, The Land of, Judith i, 9, the Greek form of Goshen. 

Ge'shur, (Map 3,) a bridge, a small principality of Syria, forming a p^rt 
of Bashan, in its north-eastern corner, adjoining the province of Argob, and 
bordering on the territory of Damascus, Deut. iii, 14; 2 Sam. xv, 8; compare 
1 Chron. ii, 23. It was in the territory of Manasseh, but its inhabitants 
wore never expelled, Josh, xiii, 13 ; compare 1 Chron. ii, 23. King David mar- 
ried "the daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur," 2 Sam. iii, 3; and her son 
Absalom sought refuge in Geshur, and there remained until taken back to 
Jerusalem by Joab, 2 Sam. xiii, 3T; xv, 8. Geshur was wasted by Da^id, 

1 Sam. xxvii, 8. Some writers (among whom are Ileland and Pressel) think 
that Geshur of Bashan (Josh, xii, 5) was distinct from the Geshur of Aram, 

2 Sam. xv, 8. But the whole tenor of the Scripture narrative seems 
against them. See Kitto, Herzog, Grove's Index. 

Gesh'uri and Gesh'urites, 1. The inhabitants of Geshur, Deut. iii, 14; 
Josh, xii, 5 ; xiii, 1 1. 

2. An ancient tribe of the desert between Arabia and Philistia, Josh, 
xiii, 2 ; 1 Sam. xxvii, 8. See Geshur. 

Ge'ther, dregs, a name occurring in Gen. x, 23, and 1 Chron. i, IT. It 
refers to the tribe of Gether, for whom no locality can be assigned. Kalisch 
thinks it may be but an Aramaean form of Geshur, an identification already 
proposed by Dr. Thomson. 

Gethsemane, (Map 7,) the best authorities unite on oil-press as the sig- 
nification. Probably the place contained a press for the manufacture of oil 
from the olives found there. In John xviii, 1, it is called "a garden; " in 
Matt, xxvi, 36, "a place" (or field) "called Gethsemane." Luke (xxii, 40) 
says, "the place," referring to the fact that Jesus was accustomed to pray 
there. John (xviii, 2) says that Judas " knew the place, for Jesus ofttimes 
resorted thither with his disciples." Hence the Garden of Gethsemane was, 
doubtless, a retired spot, at a sufficient distance from public thoroughfares 
to secure privacy, and yet easy of access. 

A tradition which reaches back to the time of Helena locates it on the 
west side of Olivet, where, near the first bridge crossing the Kidron, on the 
way from St. Stephen's Gate to the mountain, is an almost square piece of 
land inclosed by a common stone wall, within which stand eight very old 
olive-trees. Prom this gate a zigzag path descends the steep bank, and 
crossing the valley-bed by the bridge, it branches at the angle of the in- 
closed garden. One branch leads up a depression in the mount to the 
village on the top. Another branch keeps more to the right, and also leads 
to the village. A third runs below the garden, and, ascending the hill 
diagonally, passes round to Bethany. (This is the road of Christ's triumphal 
entry.) A nother path follows the valley down to Siloam. The spot thus 
indicated as the reputed site of the garden is about one half to three quarters 
of a mile (English) from the walls of Jerusalem. Our interest in Gethsemane 
clusters about that single and wonderful event — the agony of our Saviour 
on the night before his crucifixion, Matt, xxvi, 36-50 ; Mark xiv, 32-46 ; 
Luke xxii, 39-49; John xviii, 1-14. 

Pilgrims to this garden are shown, by the relic-loving guides, the rocky 
bank where the apostles fell asleep, and the very impressions of their bodies 
still remaining in the hard stone 1 A cave of some depth is claimed as the 
"Grotto of the Agony," where Jesus prayed. Also the place where Judas 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHF. 151 

betrayed his master with a kiss is pointed out. " The garden belongs to 
the Latins ; aud the Greeks, enraged at the monopoly, have actually got up 
and inclosed an opposition one of their own beside the Virgin's tomb. 
They do not often exhibit it as yet to Franks, because, as I was told, they 
wish to wait a few years till the trees grow. One would have imagined 
that the very name of Gethsemane would have Jaeen sufficient to check 
every thought of deception, and to inspire every man claiming the name of 
Christian with love to God and good-will to his fellows." — Porter's Hand- 
book. Dr. Thomson (with others) places the site of the garden in the secluded 
vale several hundred yards to the north-east of the present Gethsemane. 

Gezer, a place, probably a precipice, (called also Gazer, Gazara, Gazera, 
and Gob,) a Canaanitish royal city between Beth-Horon and the Mediter- 
ranean, on the south-western border of Ephraim, Josh, xvi, 3 ; 1 Chron. 
vii, 28. The King of Gezer was defeated by Joshua, Josh, x, 33 ; xii, 12. 
Gezer, with its suburbs, was allotted to the Kohathite Levites, Josh, xxi, 21 ; 
1 Chron. vi, 67 ; but the original inhabitants were not dispossessed, Judg. 
i, 29. and the city remained a frontier fortress of the Philistines for some 
centuries. It was the scene of many a fierce contest between its people 
and the Israelites, 2 Sam. v, 25; 1 Chron. xx, 4; 2 Sam. xxi, 18, (here called 
Gob.) It was invaded by David, 1 Sam. xxvii, 8. Pharaoh captured and 
burned the city, and gave it " for a present to his daughter, Solomon's wife," 
1 Kings ix, 15-17. Solomon rebuilt it. Gezer is often referred to in the 
wars of the Maccabees, ] Mace, xv, 28, 35. The " Journal of the Paria 
Geographical Society " (1873) claims that M. Clermont-Ganneau has identi- 
fied Gezer with the ruins of a large and ancient city occupying an extensive 
plateau ou the summit of Tell el Gezer, four Roman miles from Emmaus, 
(Nicopolis.) This identification is one of great importance. 

Gez'rites, probably dwellers in a dry, barren country, an ancient correc- 
tion, in 1 Sam. xxvii, 8, of Gerzites, that is, Gerizites, a wandering tribe who 
may have given its name to Mount Gerizim. 

Gi'ah, breaking forth, (of a fountain,) a place mentioned in 2 Sam. ii, 24, 
to designate the position of the hill of Amman. Not known. 

Gib'bethon, a height, a town allotted to the tribe of Dan, and afterward, 
with its suburbs, given to the Kohathite Levites. Josh, xix, 44; xxi, 23. It 
was besieged by Israel while held by the Philistines, 1 Kings xv, 27; 
xvi, 15, 17. Possibly the site may be marked by Saidon, a large village 
lying a short distance beyond the well south-east of Ramleh. 

Gib'ea, a hill, 1 Chron. ii, 49. Possibly the same as Gibeah of Judah. 
See Gibeah, (1.) 

Gib'eah, (Maps 5, 6,) a hill, the name of several towns in Palestine, gen- 
erally on or near a hill. 

1. Gibeah op Judah. A city mentioned only in Josh, xv, 57 ; named 
with Maon, and the southern Carmel. Porter (Rand-book, 186S) says it ia 
identified with JeVah, on a conical hill in Yfady Musurr. Grove (in Index, 
186S) oojects, ard says "the site is yet to seek." 

2. Gibeah of Saul, also called Gibeah of Benjamin. The siege of 
Gibeah, and the painful story of the Levite, are recorded in Judg. xix to xxL 
The native place of Saul, the first king of Israel, 1 Sam. x, 26; xi, 4; the 
seat of his government during the greater part of his reign, 1 Sam. xiv, 2 ; 
xxii, 6; xxiii, 19; hence its name, xv, 34. The Amorites here hanged the 
seven descendants of Saul, 2 Sam. xxi, 6. Isaiah refers to this place in his 



152 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



vision of the approach of the Assyrian armv to Jerusalem, Isa. x, 29. Soe 
Hosea v, 8; ix, 9; x, 9. In 1 Sam. xiii, 16; xiv, 5, "Gibeah" should be 
Geba. Dr. Robinson at first identified Gibeah with Jeba, a half-ruined place 
about five miles north by east of Jerusalem; but he afterward assigned 
Jeba as the sight of Geba, and located Gibeah at Tell-el-Ful, ("hill of the 
bean,") about four miles north by west of Jerusalem. Lieut. Conder mokes 
the names Gibeah, Geba, and their variations pertain to one locality, and, 
with good reason, identities Gibeah with Jeba. See Geba. 

3. In Josh, xviii, 28, another Gibeah, in Benjamin, is mentioned. It is 
joined in the enumeration with Kirjath-Jearim in referring to the ark. It 
is also referred to in 1 Sam. vii, 1, in the same connection. Kirjath stood 
on the slope of a hill, and probably on the summit was a suburb called 
Gibeah. 

4. Gibeaii-in-tiie-Eield, named in Judg. xx, 31, as the place to which one 
of the " highways " led from Gibeah-of-Benjamin. Probably it is identical 
with Jeba on the Wady Suweinit. See Geba. See Smith's Dictionary. 

Gib'eah-Haara'loth, hill of the foreskins, Josh, v, 3, marg. See Gilgal. 
Gib'eath, hill, Josh, xviii, 28. Possibly identical with Gibeah No. 3. 
Gib'eathite, 1 Chron. xii, 3. An inhabitant of Gibeah. 

Gib'eon, (Map 6,) be- 
longing to a hill, that is, 
a hill city. One of the 
most important cities in- 
habited by the Hivites, 
Josh, ix, 7 ; x, 2 ; xi, 19. 
It lay within the terri- 
tory of Benjamin, Josh, 
xviii, 25. To its juris- 
diction originally be- 
longed Beeroth, Chephi 
rah, and Kirjath-Jearim, 
Josh, ix, 17. For having 
obtained through craft 
a league with Israel, it? 
inhabitants were con- 
demned to be hewers ol 
wood and drawers of 
water, Josh, ix, 3-15, 27. 
But when the Gibeonites 
were besieged by the 
five kings, Joshua came 
to their defense, and it 
was in the great battle 
which ensued that the 
" sun stood still upon Gibeon," Josh, x, 12, 1-14. The place afterward fell to 
the lot of Benjamin, and became a Levitical city, Josh, xviii, 25 ; xxi, 1 7 ; 
where the tabernacle was set up for many years under David and Solomon, 
1 Chron. xvi, 39; xxi, 29; 2 Chron. i, 2; the ark being at the same time at 
Jerusalem, 2 Chron. i, 4. Here it was that Solomon offered a thousand 
burnt-offerings, and was rewarded by the vision that made him the wisest of 
mon, 1 Kings iii, 4-15; 2 Chron. i, 3-13. This was the place, too, wher6 




GIBEON. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 153 

Aimer's challenge to Joab brought defeat upon himself, and d^ath upon hia 
brother, Asaliel, 2 Sam. ii, 12-32. (See Helkath-Hazzurim.) Here Amasa 
was afterward slain by Joab, 2 Sam. xx, 8-12. And it was here Joab met 
his death while clinging for refuge lo the horns of the brazen altar, 1 Kinga 
ii, 28-30, 34; compare 1 Chron. xvi, 39, 40. 

The false prophet Hananiah was of Gibeon, Jer. xxviii, 1 ; and it was there 
that Johanan overtook Ishmael after the murder of Gedaliah, xli, 12. Men 
of Gibeon returned from the Babylonish captivity, Neh. hi, 7; vii, 25. In 
Ezra ii, 20, Gibbar means Gibeon. 

The site of the ancient city is clearly ider titled with the modern village of 
el-Jib, which occupies an imposing spot on the top of a low isolated hill 
about six miles north-west of Jerusalem. The lofty height of Neby Samwil 
towers immediately over the town. Ruins of considerable extent remain. 
The place is well supplied with water. In the vale south-east of the village 
is a copious fountain ; and, in the wet season, in the plain below is a pond 
of considerable extent. This was probably the " Pool of Gibeon " referred 
to in 2 Sam. ii, 12-17 ; and here, or at the fountain, were the "great waters 
of Gibeon," Jer. xli, 12. 

Gib'eonites, the people of Gibeon, 2 Sam. xxi, 1-4, 9 ; 1 Chron. xii, 4 ; 
Neh. iii, 7 ; compare Jer. xxviii, 1. Although cursed and reduced to serv- 
itude, this was eventually of a sacred cast, as they were employed about 
the sanctuary. Hence probably the crime of slaying them was the more 
aggravated. 
"Gib'lites, (Map 13,) the people of Gebal, in the north of Palestine, Josh, 
xiii, 5 ; 1 Kings v, 18, marg. See Gebal, (2.) 

Gi'dom, a cutting down, a place to which the pursuit of the Benjamites 
extended after the battle of Gibeah, Judg. xx, 45. It was probably in the 
plain lying north-east of Michmash. 

Gi'hon, a stream as breaking forth from fountains. 

1. The second of the four rivers of Paradise, Gen. ii, 13, that "compasseth 
the whole land of Ethiopia." In the Septuagint, in Jer. ii, 18, it is used as 
an equivalent for the word Sichor or Sihor, that is, the Nile ; and in Ec- 
clesiasticus xxiv, 37, the Nile is intended by the term " Geon." There are 
various conjectures as to the locality of this river, but, like the boundaries of 
Paradise, it cannot be determined. See Eden - . 

2. (Maps 7, 9.) A place, probably a spring, near Jerusalem, memorable as 
the scene of the anointing and proclamation of Solomon as king, 1 Kings 
i, 33, 38, 45. See also 2 Chron. xxxii, 30 ; xxxiii, 14. It is not easy to lo- 
cate Gihon. Grove says it is possibly identical with Siloam. See Jeru- 
salem. 

Gilbo'a or Gil'boa, (Map 5,) bubbling fountain, a ridge of hills rising at 
Jezreel in the eastern end of the plain of Esdraelon, and extending to the 
brow of the Jordan valley. The name seems to have been derived from a 
well at its northern base, half a mile from the ruins of Jezreel. Saul was 
here defeated by the Philistines, and he and his three sons slain; 1 Sam, 
xxviii, 4, 5, 19; xxxi, 1, 3. David on hearing the news gave expression to 
his grief in one of the most impressive, beautiful, and pathetic odes in the 
Bible, 2 Sam. i. Brave men from Jabesh-Gilead rescued and buried the 
bodies of the royal slain, 1 Sam. xxxi; 2 Sam. xxi, 12-14; 1 Chron. x. 

The range of Gilboa extends about ten miles from west to east. The 
sides are bleak, white, and barren. The modern local name is Jebel Fukuah, 



154 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

and upon its top is the modern village of Jelb&n. There is a lofty promon- 
tory called d-Mazar, on which Dr. Thomson thinks Saul and his sons fell. 
G-il'ead, (Map 5,) a hard rocky region; heap of witness. 
1. A mountainous region east of the Jordan, bounded on the north by 
Baslian, on the east by the Arabian plateau, on the south by Moab and A m- 
mon, Gen. xxxi, 21 ; Deut. iii, 12-17. It extends from nearly the south 
end of the Sea of Galilee to the north end of the Dead Sea — about sixty 
miles ; and its average breadth is about twenty. The Jordan is the west, 
ern boundary, 1 Sam. xiii, 7 ; 2 Kings x, 33. Sometimes it is called " Mount 
Gilead," Gen. xxxi, 25; sometimes "land of Gilead," Num. xxxii, 1; and 
sometimes simply Gilead, Psa. lx, 7 ; Gen. xxxvii, 25. It is first referred to in 
connection with the history of Jacob, Gen. xxxi, 21. It was the territory 
of Sihon and Og, Josh, xii, 2, 5. Palling into the hands of Israel, (Deut. 
iii, 8, 10,) it was afterward possessed by the two and a half tribes, Deut. 
iii, 12, 13 ; compare Josh, xvii, 1. Sometimes, however, by Gilead is to be un- 
derstood more loosely the whole of the Israelitish trans-Jordanic territory, 
Deut. xxxiv, 1 ; Josh, xxii, 9 ; Judg. xx, 1. It was a place for cattle, Num. 
xxxii, 1. Balsams or gums seem to have been here produced, Jer. viii, 22; 
xlvi, 11. Bold chieftains in the country, Judg. xi, 1. Ish-Bosheth was conveyed 
by Abner to Gilead, being sure of support among such people, 2 Sam. ii, 8, 9. 
David took refuge there in Absalom's rebellion, 2 Sam. xvii, 22, 24. Elijah 
a Gileadite, 1 Kings xvii, 1. With Gileadites Pekah rebelled against and 
slew Pekahiah, and not long after Gilead was overrun by the Assyrian king 
Tiglath, 2 Kings xv, 25, 29. The " city " in Hosea vi, 8, probably refers to 
the whole land of Gilead. 

The section of Gilead lying between the Hieromax and the Jabbok is now 
called Jtbel Ajlwn, while that to the south of the Jabbok constitutes the 
modern province of Belka. One of the most conspicuous peaks in the mount- 
ain range still retains the ancient name, being called Jebel JiVad, " Mount 
Gilead." It is probably the site of Ramath-Mizpeh of Josh, xiii, 2G, and 
the li Mizpeh-Gilead " from which Jephthah "'passed over unto the children 
of Ammon," Judg. xi, 29. The neighboring village of es-Salt occupies the 
site of the old "city of refuge" in Gad, Ramoth-Gilead. 

In the New Testament and in Josephus Gilead is referred to under the 
terms "Persea" and "beyond Jordan," Matt, iv, 15; John i, 28. 

Under Mohammedan rule this country is semi-barbarian. The whole pop- 
ulation of Gilead is composed of a few fierce wandering tribes, and a few in- 
habitants of villages scattered amid the fastnesses of Jebel Ajlun. " In pass- 
ing through the country one can ha rdly get over the impression that he UL 
roaming through an English park. The graceful hills, the rich vales, the 
luxuriant herbage, the bright wild flowers, the plantations of evergreen 
oak, pine, arbutus; now a tangled thicket, and now a grove scattered over 
the gentle slope, as if intended to reveal its beauty; the little rivulets 
fringed with oleanders, at one place running lazily between alluvial bank*, at 
another, dashing madly down rocky ravines — such are the features of the 
mountains of Gilead." — Porter. 

2. In Judg. vii, 3, the name of Mount Gilead is thought by some to be a 
copyist's mistake for Gilboa ; for Gideon was encamped at the " well (spring) 
of Harod." The spring is now called Jalood near Zerin. The solution of 
Schwarz is that the northernmost spur of Mount Gilboa was also called 
Gilead, where still the name Jalood exists. 




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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 159 

Gil'eadite, a family of Mauasseh, descendants of Gilead ; also inhabit- 
ants of the land of Gilead, Num. xxvi, 29 ; Judg. x, 3 ; xi, 1, 40 ; xii, 7 ; 
2 Sam, xvii, 27; xix, 31; 1 Kings ii, 7 ; 2 Kings xv, 25; Ezra ii, 61; Neh, 
vii, 63. 

Gil' gal, (Map 5,) a rolling away. 

1. A place in the Jordan valley near Jericho, the site of the first camp 
of the Israelites west of the Jordan, where the twelve stones were set up 
which had been taken from the bed of the stream, Josh, iv, 19, 20 ; compare hi ; 
Dcut. xi, 30. Here was kept the first passover in the land of Canaan, and 
the Israelites who had been born on the march through the wilderness were 
here circumcised, Josh, v, 9, 10. The camp remained at Gilgal during the 
early part of the conquest, Josh, ix, 6 ; x, 6, 7, 9, 15, 43 ; and from one nar- 
rative we may probably infer that Joshua retired thither at the conclusion 
of his labors, Josh, xiv, 6 ; compare xv. Samuel judged here, 1 Sam. vii, 6. 
In its sacred groves were celebrated the solemn assemblies of Samuel and 
Saul, and of David on his return from exile, 1 Sam. x, 8 ; xi, 14 ; xiii, 4, etc. ; 
xv, 12, etc. ; 2 Sam. xix, 15, 40. Agag slain here, 1 Sam. xv, 33. Gilgal 
was denounced by the prophets for its idolatry, Hosea iv, 15 ; ix, 15; xii, 
11; Amos iv, 4; v, 5. In Josh, xv, 7, a Gilgal is mentioned in describing 
the north boundary of Judah. In the parallel list of Josh, xviii, 17, it is 
given as Geliloth, and this Gilgal near Jericho is doubtless intended. See 
Gellloth. 

The exact site of Gilgal has not been identified. The best authorities con- 
jecture it to have been near the present little village of Biha. 

2. In 2 Kings ii, 1, 2 ; iv, 38, is named a Gilgal visited by Elijah and 
Elisha. This could not be the Gilgal of the low plain of the Jordan, for the 
prophets are said to have gone down to Bethel, which is three thousand feet 
above the plain. There is a Jiljilieli about four miles from Bethel and Shiloh 
respectively, situated high up on the brow of the central mountain tract: 
perhaps that is the site of the place in question. Winer suggests that this 
may be the Gilgal of Deut. xi, 30. Perhaps, also, it is that of Neh. xii, 29. 
But the place of this latter is referred by some to No. 1 above. 

3. In Josh, xii, 23, occurs the name of a royal Canaanitish Gilgal. Possi- 
bly the site of this place is marked by the modern village of Ji/juleh, about 
four miles south of Antipatris. But another Gilgal, under the slightly differ- 
ent form of Kilkilieh, lies about two miles east of Antipatris, (Kej r- Saba.) 

Giloh, exile, a town in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 51 ; the native 
place of Ahithophel, 2 Sam. xv, 12, who resided here when Absalom sent for 
him to Hebron. Giloh was also the scene of Ahithophel's miserable death, 
2 Sam. xvii, 23. It is not identified; but Bafat, a village with extensive 
ruins one hour and twenty minutes south of Hebron, has been suggested as 
the site. 

Gi'lonite, a native of Giloh ; the designation of Ahithophel, 2 Sam. xv, 12 ; 
xxiii, 34. 

Gim'zo, place fertile in sycamores, a town in the low country of Judah, 
captured by the Philistines, with Ajalon and other places, in the reign of 
Ahaz, 2 Chron. xxviii, 18. It is identified with Jimzu, a rather large 
village on an eminence about three miles south-west from Lydda. Here 
are found many thrashing-floors, and ancient cisterns used as magazines for 
grain. 

Gir'gashites and Gir'gasitee, dwelling in clayey or loamy soil, one of tho 

8 






/ 



160 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

nations in possession of Canaan before the tim6 of Joshua, Gen. x, 16; 
xv, 21 ; Deut. vii, 1; Josh, iii, 10; xxiv, 11; 1 Chron. i, 14; Neh ix, 8. The 
name Las no connection with the Gergesenes; but nothing is known as 
to their locality. From Josh, xxiv, 11, we may infer that their territory was 
on the west of Jordan, near central Palestine. 

Git'tah-He'pher, Josh, xix, 13. See Gath-Hepher. 

Git'taim, two wine-presses, a town probably of Benjamin. From 2 Ham. 
iv, 3, it would seem that the ancient Gibeonites were expelled from Beeroth, 
and either built or colonized Gittaim. In Neh. xi, 33, this town is connected 
with Rameh, as inhabited after the captivity. The site is unknown. 

Git'tites, the inhabitants of Gath, Josh, xiii, 3: 2 Sam. xxi, 19; 1 Chron. 
xx, 5. The six huudred men from Gath who followed David under It tai, 
and who probably acted as a body-guard, are also called Gittites, 2 Sam. xv, 
18, 19. Some of these six hundred may have been Hebrews, 1 Sam. xxiii, 
13 ; xxv, 13; xxvii, 2. Obed-Edom, in whose house the ark was placed, is 
called a Gittite, 2 Sam. vi, 10, 11 ; 1 Chron. xiii, 13. But because it seems 
improbable that the sacred ark should be in charge of a Philistine, it has 
been suggested that Obed-Edom belonged to Gittaim, or to Gath-Eimmon, 
which was a Levite city. 

Gi'zonite. " The sons of Hashem the Gizonite " are named among the 
warriors of David's guard, 1 Chron. xi, 34. In the paraUel list of 2 Sam. xxiii, 
the word is omitted. Nothing is known of this term. 

Go'ath, lowing, a place named in Jer. xxxi, 39, in connection with the hill 
Gareb, and apparently near Jerusalem. See Calvary. 

Gob, a pit, ditch, cistern, a place mentioned in 2 Sam. xxi, 18, 19, as the 
scene of two encounters between David's warriors and the Philistines. In 
1 Chron. xx, 4, in referring to one of these battles, the name is given as 
Gezer, which see. The LXX in some copies has Gath in one verse, a name 
which in Hebrew much resembles Gob. 

Go'laiij (Map 5,) exile, by some circle, a city of Bashan, in the half-tribe 
of Manasseh, assigned to the Levites, and appointed one of the refuge cities, 
Deut. iv, 43; Josh, xx, 8; xxi, 27; 1 Chron. vi, 11. No further mention is 
made of Golan in Scripture. Its site is not known ; but it doubtless gave 
its name to the district east of Jordan called Gaulonitis. This district ex- 
tended from the Yarmuk (Hieromax) in the south to the fountains of the Jor- 
dan, or the confines of Dan and Cesarea Philippi in the north. On the west it 
was bounded by the Jordan and the two upper lakes ; on the east it reached 
to the Ilauran. Gaulonitis was anciently very populous. Mr. Porter speaks 
of a list of a hundred and twenty-seven cities and villages ; but nearly all 
of these are now only masses of ruins. 

The greater part of this region is a flat and fertile table-land, well watered, 
and clothed with luxuriant grass. The western side, along the Sea of Gali- 
lee, is steep, rugged, and bare. 

Golgotha, a skull, the Hebrew name of the spot at which our Lord was 
crucified, Matt, xxvii, 33; Mark xv, 22; John xix, 17. See Calvary. 

Go'mer, (Map 12,) perfection, complete, a people descended from Gomer, 
the eldest son of Japheth, Gen. x, 2, 3 ; 1 Chron, i, 5, 6 ; Ezek. xxxviii, 6. 
Gomer is generally recognized as the progenitor of the early Cimmerians, of 
the later Cimbri and the other branches of the Celtic family, and of the mod- 
ern Gael and Cymry, the latter preserving, with very slight deviation, the 
original name. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 161 

Gomor'riih, probably submersion, one of the five "cities >f the plain " or 
" Vale of Siddim," that, under their respective kings, joined battle there with 
Chedorlaomer and his allies, by whom they were discomfited till Abram 
came to the rescue, Gen. xiv, 2-14. Four of the five cities were afterward 
destroyed by the Lord with fire from heaven, Gen. xix, 23-29. Zoar waa 
spared at Lot's request. 

Gomorrah was next to Sodom in importance as well as in wickedness, 
Gen. xix, 4-8. The miserable fate of these cities is held up as a warning to 
Israel, Deut. xxix, 23 ; as a precedent for the destruction of Babylon, Isa. 
xiii, 19; Jer. 1, 40; of Edom, Jer. xlix, 18; of Moab, Zeph. ii, 9; and even 
of Israel, Amos iv, 11. In 2 Pet. ii, 6, and in Jude 4-7 their fate is "an en- 
sample ' ; to the ungodly. The fearful wickedness of these cities "rings as a 
proverb " through the prophecies ; see Deut. xxxii, 32 ; Isa. i, 9, 1 ; Jer. xxii, 14, 
where Jerusalem is called Sodom, and her people Gomorrah. And yet, 
according to New Testament teaching, Tyre, Sidon, Capernaum. Chorazin, 
and Bethsaida were guilty of greater sin when they " repented not," in spite 
of the " mighty works " which they had seen, Matt, x, 1 5 ; compare Mark 
yi, 11. The site of Gomorrah is not known. A valley of the same name 
{Wady "* Amor all) exists on the south-west side of the Dead Sea, but Mr. 
Grove and others hold to the opinion that the five cities were probably at 
the north end of the lake. See Sodom and Sea Salt, where this point is 
considered. 

Gomor'rha, the Greek form of Gomorrah, 2 Esdras ii, 8 ; Matt, x, 15 ; 
Mark vi, 11 ; Bom. ix, 29; Jude 7 ; 2 Pet. ii, 6. 

Gorty na, a city of Crete, in which were Jewish residents, 1 Mace, xv, 23. 
It was near Fair Havens, and possibly Paul may have preached there when 
on his voyage to Rome, Acts xxvii, 8, 9. 

Go'shen, (Map 2,) frontier, (?), (meaning very uncertain.) 

1. Goshen is the name of a part of Egypt where the Israelites dwelt for 
the whole period of their sojourn in that country, Gen. xlv, 5, 10; xlvi, 28; 
xlvii, 27 ; 1, 8; Exod. viii, 22; ix, 26. It is called usually the "land of Go- 
shen," and simply also Goshen. It appears to have borne the name of "the 
land of Rameses," Gen. xlvh, 11, unless this be the name of a district of 
Goshen. The Bible does not definitely locate this region. It is probable, 
however, that it lay east of the Nile, as Jacob is not reported to have crossed 
that river ; nor does it appear that the Israelites did so in their flight from 
Egypt. 

Mr. Poole (in Smith's Dictionary) claims that the land of Goshen lay be- 
tween the eastern part of the ancient Delta and the western border of Pal- 
estine, that it was scarcely a part of Egypt Proper, was inhabited by other 
foreigners besides the Israelites, and was in its geographical namo rather 
Semitic than Egyptian, and that it was probably identical with the mod- 
ern Wady Tumtylat, the valley along which ran the canal of the Red Sea. 
Dr. Kalisch does not exactly agree with this identification. Goshen did not 
reach to the wilderness, (Exod. xiii, 20,) and was not, he thinks, a frontier 
province. Such passages as Exod. viii, 21-23 ; ix, 25, 26, show, he thinks, 
that it was surrounded by other Egyptian districts, and properly belonged 
to Egypt, lie supposes it impossible, therefore, to define its boundaries, 
and concludes that we must b6 satisfied with a general idea of its position. 
Mr. Poole remarks concerning the conclusions of another: " If, with Lepsius, 
we place Goshen bebw Heliopolis, near Bubastis and Bilbeys, the distance 



162 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

from the Red Sea, of three days' journey of the Israelites, and the separate 
character of the country, are violently set aside." 

Goshen was fertile, and abounded in excellent pasture-land, Gen. xlvii, 
6, 11 ; xlvi, 34; xlvii, 4. Fish abundant there, Num. xi, 5; hence, probably, 
the land bordered on tfie Nile or some branch of it. The royal residence, 
doubtless, was not far from Goshen, Gen. xlv, 10; xlvi, 29; xlviii, 1, 2; 
Exod. v, 20. The Israelites were not all confined to the land of Goshen, 
for the parents of Moses evidently lived at the capital, Exod. ii, 3, 5, 8. 
Nor were the inhabitants of Goshen exclusively Israelites, for Egyptians 
are described as their neighbors, Exod. iii, 22 ; xi, 2 ; xii, 35, 36 ; and that 
the houses of the two peoples were intermixed, may be inferred from the mark- 
ing of those of Israel with the blood of the paschal lamb, Exod. xii, 23. 
Pharaoh's flocks and herds seem to have been pastured in Goshen, Gen. 
xlvii, 6. Foreigners also probably lived there, for a " mixed multitude " 
accompanied the Israelites on their march, Exod. xii, 38. The territory was 
anciently of extraordinary fertility. Travelers represent the land as now 
needing only the waters of the Nile to render it again fertile. Laborde repre- 
sents the vicinity of Heliopolis as still covered with palm-trees, and having 
an inclosure, comprehending a considerable space of ground, which is 
covered every year by the inundation of the Nile to the height of five feet. 
A few hours' journey to the north-east of Cairo are large heaps of ruins 
which the Arabs call Tell el Jhud, (Jews' hills,) or Turbeh el Jhud, (Jews' 
graves.) Some claim these as mounds of the Jews, and built by them 
during their sojourn in Egypt. Dr. Robinson emphatically rejects this 
claim, and says, " These mounds can only be referred back to the period of 
the Ptolemies, in the centuries immediately before the Christian era, when 
great numbers of Jews resorted to Egypt and erected a temple at Leontopolis." 

2. A district of Palestine, apparently lying between Gaza and Gibeon, 
Josh, x, 41 ; xi, 16. Probably it included some of the rich low country of 
Judah, and the Israelites may hence have given it its name. It is possible 
that the name may have been much older, implying intercourse with Egypt. 
For such implied intercourse, see 1 Chron. vii, 21. 

3. A town in the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 51, of which no identifi- 
cation has yet been made. Some conjecture that it may have given its name 
to the district above mentioned, (No. 2.) 

Go'zan, (Maps 1, 14,) perhaps quarry, a district of Mesopotamia through 
which the Habor (the modern Khdbour) flowed, 2 Kings xvii, 6; xviii, 11 ; 
xix, 12; 1 Chron. v, 26; Isa. xxxvii, 12. The Israelites were carried captives 
to this region by Pul, Tiglath-Pileser, and Shalmanezer, or possibly Sargon. 
In 1 Chron. v, 26, the " river " means the river flowing through Gozan. 
This tract is probably identical with the Gauzanitis of Ptolemy, and may be 
regarded as the Mygdonia of other writers. Mr. Layard describes the region 
lying immediately along the river as one of remarkable fertility. 

Greece, or Hellas, (Maps 1, 11,) a country in the south-east of Europe, 
Zech. ix, 13; 1 Mace, i, 1; Acts xx, 2, called also Grecia, Dan. viii, 21; 
x, 20 ; xi, 2. The Hebrew is Javan, (the signification of which may be mud 
or clay,) Dan. viii, 21, and Joel iii, 6, (see both the A. V. and the Hebrew 
text.) The term Javan is sometimes given in the A. V., Isa. lxvi, 19; 
Ezek. xxvii, 13. The descendants of Japheth, in the line of Javan, peopled 
Greece, Gen. x, 2, 4, 5. The name Javan may be traced in Ionia, the 
western region of Asia Minor. (See the Septuagint in Gen. x, 2.) 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 163 

Greece was bounded on the north by Illyricum and Macedonia, from 
which a range of mountains separated it. On the other sides it was washed 
by the sea. There were numerous islands off the coasts inhabited by the 
Greek race, who had also established colonies elsewhere. In after-times the 
word was applied in a larger sense, and under the Roman dominion Greece 
was considered as comprehending the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. 
So they are mentioned together in the New Testament, Acts xviii, 21 ; Rom. 
xv. 26. In Acts xx, 2, however, the term "Grecia" is used in its more 
restricted and proper sense as distinguished from Macedonia. Sometimes 
Greece or Grecia is used to designate the Macedonian kingdom of Alexander, 
as in the passages in Daniel above referred to. In Zech. ix, 13, the term 
means the Grseco-Syrian kingdom, which arose after Alexander's death. 

There was little early communication or connection between Palestine and 
Greece. The Greeks and Hebrews met first in the slave-market, Joel iii, 6. 
In Maccabean times we find a correspondence of the Jews and the Lacedae- 
monians, with a reference to a yet earlier document in which the last-named 
people professed to discover that they were descendants of Abraham, 
1 Mace, xii, 2-23. After the complete subjugation of the Greeks by the 
Romans, and the absorption into the Roman empire of the kingdoms which 
were formed out of the dominions of Alexander, the political connection be- 
tween the Greeks and Jews as two independent nations no longer existed. 
See Achaia, Athens, Corinth. 

Grecia. See Greece. 

Gre'cian, Gre'cians. In the books of the Maccabees Greeks and Grecians 
seem to be used indifferently. Compare 1 Mace, i, 10 ; vi, 2 ; also 2 Mace, 
iv, 10, Greekish. In the New Testament the terms " Greek " and " GreciaD " 
in the English do not sufficiently convey the difference of meanings. Hel- 
lenes, " Greeks," it may be said, generally, were Greeks by race, (for example, 
Acts xvi, 1, 3; xviii, 17;) or Gentiles as opposed to Jews, (/or example, 
Rom. ii, 9, 10, margin.) Hellenistai, "Grecians," were foreign Jews, as 
opposed to Palestine Jews, Acts vi, 1 ; xi, 20. Hellenikos is used to denote 
the Greek language, Luke xxiii, 38; Rev. ix, 11. 

Gud'godah, or Gudgo'dah, perhaps thunder, a station of the Israelites in 
the wilderness, Deut. x, 7. See Hor-Hagidgad. 

Gul'loth, fountains, springs, a name used to denote the springs added by 
the great Caleb to the south land in the neighborhood of Debir, which 
formed the dowry of his daughter Achsah, Josh, xv, 19; Judg. i, 15. These 
springs are described as "upper" and "lower." An attempt has been 
lately made by Dr. Rosen to identify them with Ain Nunkur and Dewir- 
Ban, spots in a beautiful valley one hour south-west of Hebron, and in this 
Dean Stanley coincides ; but the identification cannot yet be considered 
certaiu. See Stanley's Jeivish Church, vol. i, p. 293, note. 

Gu'nites, The, colored, dyed, the name of the "family" which sprang 
from Guni, son of Naphtali, Num. xxvi, 48. 

Gur, a v)help, lion's cub, or dwelling, the place where it is said that Ahaziak 
received his mortal wound when flying from Jehu, 2 Kings ix, 27. " The 
going up to Gur " was probably some steep ascent from the plain of Esdraelon. 
The place is not identified, but conjecture locates it below Jenin. 

Gur-Ba'al, sojourn of Baal, a place or district in which dwelt Arabians, 
against whom God helped Uzziah, 2 Chron. xxvi, 7. This place was proba- 
bly between Palestine and the Arabian peninsula. Some have supposed it 



/ 



.164 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

to be identical with Gerar, but the site is wholly unknown. In the passage 
above cited the Mehunim are mentioned with the Arabians. See Mehunim. 

Ha'bor, (Map 1,) joining together, a river of Mesopotamia which must be 
distinguished from the Chebar of Ezekiel, 2 Kings xvii, 6 ; xviii, 11 ; 1 Chron. 
v, 26. See Chebar and Gozan. The district through which the Habor 
runs was one of the countries into which the ten tribes were carried cap- 
tive. It is identified beyond reasonable doubt with the river Chaboras, now 
called the Khabour. It has several sources, the principal of which is said 
to be west of Mar din. It runs in a winding course, but generally south- 
south -west, through a rich country, till, having been augmented by tributa- 
ries, it empties into the Euphrates at Karkesia, the ancient Circesium. 

According to Benjamin of Tudela {Early Travels in Palestine, p. 93) there 
were large Jewish communities on the banks of the Khabour. 

Mr. Layard represents both sides of the river as covered with mounds, 
the remains of cities belonging to the Assyrian period. 

Hach'ilah, Hill of, the darksome hill, a hill in the highlands of Judah, in 
the neighborhood of Ziph, in the fastnesses or passes of which David and 
his six hundred followers were hiding when twice the Ziphites informed 
Saul of his whereabouts, 1 Sam. xxiii, 19; comp. xiv, 15, 18; xxvi, 1. Saul 
was diverted from the pursuit in the first case by the intelligence of an 
incursion of the Philistines; in the second, David and Abishai stole into 
Saul's camp by night and carried off the king's spear and cruse of water. 
The probable site of Hachilah is the high hill bounded by deep valleys north 
and south, on which the ruin of Yekin now stands. 

Ha' dad-Rim' mon, (Map 4,) a place probably named from Hadad and 
Rimmon, two Syrian idols. The term Hadad was originally the indigenous 
appellation of the Sun among the Syrians. Rimmon may signify most high, 
or perhaps pomegranate, a fruit sacred to Venus. 

This place was in the Valley of Megiddo, and is named in Zech. xii, 11 as 
the scene of a great lamentation over the death of some noted person, as the 
type of the greatest of all lamentations in Jerusalem over its dead. The 
reference is most probably to the mourning for the death of King Josiah, 
who fell in battle against Pharaoh- jSTecho, 2 Kings xxiii, 29; 2 Chron. 
xxxv, 20-23. 

About four miles south of Lejjun is a small village called Rummaneh, 
which Van de Velde identifies with Hadad-Rimmon ; but this identification 
is uncertain. 

Had'ashah, or Hada'shah, new, a town in the lower country of Judah, 
named between Zenan and Migdal-Gad, in the second group, Josh, xv, 37. 
Probably identical with Adasa, (I Mace, vii, 40, 45.) Both Eusebius and 
Jerome seem to have known the place, but it cannot now be identified. 

Hadat'tah, new, a town named as in the extreme south, of Judah, Josh. 
xv, 25. The pointing of the Hebrew would seem to indicate that it is to be 
taken as an adjective qualifying Razor, as if it were Hazor-Chadattah, that 
is, ISTew Hazor, in distinction from the place of the same name in verse 23. 
It is not known, although Mr. Wilton seeks to identify it with Kusr el-Ada- 
dcJi, a ruin of imposing appearance on the summit of a hill. (The Xegeb, 
pp. 98, 99.) 

Ha' did, sharp, a place named, with Lod (Lydda) and Ono, only in the 
later books of the history, but yet so as to imply its earlier existence, Ezra 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 105 

ii, 33; Neh. vii, 37 ; xi, 34. Its site is probably that of the modern village 
El-Hadithdi, three miles east of Lydda. See Adida. 

Hadrach, perhaps inclosure, a country of Syria mentioned but once, 
Zech. ix, 1, 2. The land of Hadrach is conjectured by some to be the region 
of Damascus; but Mr. Porter (in Kitto) says: "The words of the passage 
do not connect it more closely with Damascus than with Hamath. . . . There 
is no town or province near Damascus or Hamath bearing a name at all re- 
sembling Hadrach. Yet this does not prove that there never was such a 
name. Many ancient names have disappeared, as it seems to be the case 
with this." 

Ha'garenes', or Ha'garites, from Hagar, which signifies flight, a people 
dwelling east of the Jordan, with whom the Reubenites, Gadites, and East- 
ern Manassites had wars, 1 Chron. v, 10, 19, 20; xxvii, 31. Possibly these 
people were descended from Hagar, although they seem to be distinguished 
from the Ishmaelites, Psa, lxxxiii, 6. Some authorities incline to identify 
them with the Agrasi in North-eastern Arabia, on the borders of the Per- 
sian Gulf, where are now the town and district of Hejer. But nothing is 
certainly known concerning this tribe. 

Ha'i, heap of ruins, Gen. xii, 8 ; xiii, 3. The same as Ai. 

Ka'lah, (Map 1,) the meaning is uncertain; but the name is probably de- 
rived from the very ancient city of Calah, signifying old age. A place in 
Assyria to which the ten tribes were carried captive, 2 Kings xvii, 6 ; xviii, 
11; 1 Chron. v, 26. Halah may with some confidence be identified with 
the Chalcitis of Ptolemy. It is probably now the modern Gla, a mound on 
the upper X/tcibcur, above its junction with the Jerujer. 

Ha'lak, The Mount, the smooth mountain, the name of a mountain twice 
named as the southern limit of Joshua's conquests. Josh, xi, 17 ; xii, 7. It 
was in the direction of Seir, but it has not been identified. 

Hal'hul, (Map 5,) trembling, a town in the highlands of Judah, Josh, xv, 
58. Its ruined site with the name of Halhul is found on the eastern slope 
of a hill four miles north of Hebron, encompassed by fields and fine vine- 
yards. On the top of the hill is an old mosque dedicated to Neby Yunus, 
(Prophet Jonah.) 

Ha'li, necklace, trinket, a town on the boundary of Asher, Josh, xix, 25, 
of whose situation nothing is known. 

Hal'icarnas'sus, a renowned city of Caria, the birth-place of Herodotus 
and cf Dionysius, the historians. Here was the famous ma-usoleum erected 
by Artemisia. It was the residence of a Jewish population in the periods 
between the Old and New Testament histories, 1 Mace, xv, 23. According 
to Josephus, these Jews had permission to hold service for prayer by the 
sea-side. Compare Acts xvi, 13. The modern name is BudrtLm. 

Ha'math, (Maps 1, 13,) fortress, citadel, one of the most important citiea 
of Syria from very early times, and ranking among the oldest in the world. 
Under the Macedonians it was called Epiphaneia, from Antiochus Epiphanes. 
It was situated at the foot of Anti-Libanus on the Orontes, near Damascus 
(that is, the limits of the two were contiguous) and Zobah, Josh, xiii, 5 ; 
Judges iii, 3 ; Zech. ix, 2 ; Jer. xlix, 23 ; 1 Chron. xviii, 3, 9 ; 2 Chron. viii, 3. 
It was the chief city on the highway from Phoenicia to the Euphrates. 
Originally it was a Phoenician or Canaanite colony, Gen. x, 18, but after- 
ward it was taken by the Syrians, and became the metropolis of a kingdom 
which included a considerable district of surrounding country, 2 Kings 



166 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

xxiii, 33; xxv, 21. Its king sustained amicable relations with David, I Sam 
viii, 9. etc.; 1 Chron. xviii, 9. It maintained its independence uiitii near 
Hezekiah's time, when the Assyrians took it, Isa, xxxvii, 12, etc.; compare 
2 Kings xv, 19; xviii, 34; xix, 13; Isa. x, 9; Amos vi, 2; though its ter- 
ritory may have been previously curtailed, Xum. xiii, 22; xxxiv, 8; Amos 
vi, 14; 1 Chron. xiii, 5; 2 Chron. vii, 8; viii, 3; Ezek. xlvii, 16; xlviii, 1. 

The Assyrians transplanted "people from Hamath" into the depopulated 
country of the ten tribes, who brought their native deity, Ashima, (probably 
the Phoenician Esmun-Esculapius,) with them. In the Middle Ages Hamath 
was the capital of a small State, among whose princes was the renowned his- 
torian and geographer Abulfeda. 

The present name of the city is Eamah, and it is still a place of consider- 
able importance, with a population of about thirty thousand, including two 
thousand five hundred Christians of the Greek Church. Four bridges span 
the river, (the Orontes, now the Nahr eVAsy,) and a number of huge wheels, 
turned by the current, raise the water into aqueducts, which convey it to the 
houses and mosques of the town. Although the houses of the city are plain 
and poor externally, some of them are splendid within. Some ancient inscrip- 
tions on stones have been discovered, but they have not yet been deciphered. 

Ha'math the Great, Amos vi, 2 ; the same as Hamath. 

Ha'math-Zo'bah, fortress of Zobah, a city which Solomon subdued, 
2 Chron. viii, 3. The best authorities consider this as probably a different 
place from Hamath, but it is not identified. 

Ham' math, warm springs, one of the fortified cities in the territory allotted 
to Naphtali, Josh, xix, 35. It doubtless lay about one mile south of Tiberias. 
Josephus mentions it, under the name of Emmaus, as " a village not far 
from Tiberias." Josephus also names the hot springs or baths of Hammath, 
and mentions the fact that the waters were medicinal. 

The place is probably identical with the Hammam, ov springs, near Tiberias, 
which still send up hot and sulphurous waters. The water, too nauseous 
to be drank, is yet used for bathing, and has a high reputation for medicinal 
qualities. Possibly Hammath is the same as Hammon, (2,) or Hainmoth-Dor. 

Ham'mon, warm, sunny. 

1. A place in Asher, near Zidon, Josh, xix, 28. Not yet identified. 

2. A Gershonite city in Naphtali, 1 Chron. vi, 76. Possibly the same as 
Hammath and Hammoth-Dor. 

Ham'moth-Dor, warm springs 1 dwelling, a town of Gershonite Levites, 
and of refuge in Naphtali. It is possibly the same as Hammon (2,) and Ham- 
math. 

Hamo'nah or Ham'onah, multitude, a city mentioned in a very obscure 
passage, Ezek. xxxix, 16, apparently as the place in or near which the mul- 
titudes of Gog shall be buried after their great slaughter by the Almighty, 
and which is to derive its name — "multitude" — from that circumstance. 

Ha mon-Gog, the Valley of, ravine of Gog's multitude, the prophetical 
name to be bestowed on the valley in which Gog and his multitude shall be 
buried, Ezek. xxxix, 11, 15. See Hamonah. 

Hanan'eel, (Map 9,) God has graciously given. The name of a tower 
which formed part of the wall of Jerusalem, Neh. iii, 1; xii, 39; Jer. xxxi, 
38 ; Zech. xiv, 10. It was between the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate, and 
not far from the corner. Dr. Barclay says : " It is probable in the highest 
degree that in the projection at the north-east corner of the Haram inclo- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 167 

ure we have the remains of the Tower of Hananeel." Some think it was the 
same as the Tower of Meah, which see. 

Ha'nes. This term and the passage in which it occurs (Isa. xxx, 4) are 
obscure. It is the name of a city in Egypt which has generally been iden- 
tified with the Heracleopolis, Hercules city, of the Greeks, in Middle Egypt, 
on the west of the Nile, called in Coptic Hues, or Ehnes. But the Chaldee par- 
a phrase reads Tahpanhes. Grotius thinks Hanes a contraction of Tahpanhes. 
This latter was situated in the eastern part of the Delta, and may possibly 
bo identical with Hanes. See Tahpanhes. 

Han'nathon, graciously regarded, a town on the northern border of Zebu- 
lun, Josh, xix, 14. It is not identified. 

Haphra'im, (properly Chapharaim,) two pits, a city of Issachar, proba- 
bly near Shunem, Josh, xix, 19. Eusebius and Jerome place it six miles 
north from Legio, under the names of Aphraim and Aflarea. About six miles 
north-east of Lejjun and two miles west of Solam (the ancient Shunem) 
stands the modern village of el-Afuleh, which is possibly identical with 
Haphraim. 

Hara, mountainous land, a place in Assyria, mentioned only in 1 Chron. 
v, 26, whither some of the Israelitish captives were carried. The Septuagint 
omits it. Mr. Rawlinson (in Smith's Dictionary) says it " is either a place 
utterly unknown, or it must be regarded as identical with Haran or Charran, 
the Mesopotamian city to which Abram came from Ur." Mr. Grove thinks 
it is " possibly a variation of Haran." Rosenmiiller and Gesenius suppose 
that the Persian mountain district Irak is meant. Mr. Porter (in Kitto) 
says : " Hara is joined with Hala, Habor, and the river Gozan. These were 
all situated in western Assyria, between the Tigris and Euphrates, and along 
the banks of the Khabur. We may safely conclude, therefore, that Hara 
could not have been far distant from that region. . . . The conjecture that 
Hara and Haran are identical cannot be sustained, though the situation of 
the latter might suit the requirements of the biblical narrative, and its Greek 
classical name resembles Hara. . . . Hara may perhaps have been a local 
name applied to the mountainous region north of Gozan, caUed by Strabo 
and Ptolemy Mons Masius, and now Karja Baghlar." 

Har'adah, (Map 2,) fear, a desert station of the Israelites, Num. xxxiii, 
24, 25. Possibly identical with Jebel 'Aradeh in Wddy el 'Ain. 

Haran, (Map 1,) parched, dry; called also Charran, Acts vii, 2, 4 The 
name of the place to which Abraham and his family migrated from Ui of the 
Chaldees, and where the descendants of his brother Nahor established them- 
selves. It is called " the city of Nahor." Compare Gen. xxiv, 10, with 
xxvii, 43. It is said to be in Mesopotamia, Gen. xxiv, 10; or, more defi- 
nitely, in Padan-Aram, xxv, 20. At Haran Abraham dwelt awhile, Gen. xi, 
31; xii, 4, 5. Terah died there, Gen. xi, 32. Abraham left Haran to go to 
Cai-aan by divine command. Jacob resided at Haran with Laban, Gen. 
xxvii, 43; xxviii, 7; xxix; xxxi, 18. It was conquered by the Assyrians, 
2 Kings xix, 12 ; being mentioned in connection with Gozan in Mesopotamia. 
Its merchants are mentioned in Ezek. xxvii, 23, and its idolatry in Josh, xxiv, 
14; Isa. xxxvii, 12. 

Haran has been generally identified with the Carrse of the Greeks and Ro- 
mans, and the Harrdn of the Arabs. 

This Harrdn, of whose identification with Haran there is no reasonable 
doubt, stands on the banks of a small river called Belik, which flows into 



168 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

the Euphrates about fifty miles south of the town. The village is inhabited 
only by a few Arab families. 

A little east of Damascus is a modern village called Uarrdn el-Awamid, 
(Map 3,) which Dr. Beke claims as the Haran of Abraham and Laban. But 
Dr. Beke stands almost alone in this claim; yet his arguments seem plausi- 
ble. But as the distance traveled over by Jacob and Laban (Gen. xxxi, 
17-25) was, according to the common theory, upward of three hundred 
miles, and as the meaning of Gilead is hard, stony region, it is highly j robabla 
that the Gilead here referred to must have meant some rough region further 
to the north-east than the Mount Gilead near the Jordan. 

Ha'reth, probably thicket, a forest in Judah, to which David fled from 
Saul, 1 Sam. xxii, 5. Probably identical with Kharith. 

Ha rod, Well of, spring of trembling, terror. A spring by which Gideon 
and his great army encamped on the morning of the day which ended in the 
rout of the Midianites, and where the trial of the people by their mode of 
drinking apparently took place, Judges vii, 1. 

It is possibly identical with the fountain now called Ain Jdlud, nearly op- 
posite Shuuem, about a mile east of Jezreel. Jalud may be a corruption of 
Harod. 

Haro'sheth of the Gentiles. Harosheth signifies wood-cuttings, or cnrv- 
ing in wood, stone, etc. A town of northern Palestine, the home of Sisera, 
Judges iv, 2, 13, 16. From the fact that this town was the gathering-plac6 
of Jabin's army, it would seem that it could not have been far from Hazor. 

Dr. Thomson, who makes "the authority of Jabin extend very far," says: 
" About eight miles from Megiddo, at the entrance of the pass to Esdraelon 
from the plain of Acre, is an enormous double mound called Harothieh, 
which is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Harosheth, the signification of the 
word being the same in both languages. This tell is situated just below the 
point where the Kishon in one of its turns beats against the rocky base of 
Carmel, leaving no room even for a footpath. A castle there effectually 
commands the pass up the vale of the Kishon into Esdraelon, and such a 
castle there was on this immense double tell of Harothieh. It is still cov- 
ered with the remains of old walls and buildings. The village of the same 
name is now on the other side of the river, a short distance higher up, and, 
of course, nearer the battle-field. I have not the slightest doubt of this 
identification. It was probably called Harosheth of the Gentiles or nations, 
because it belonged to those Gentiles of Acre and the neighboring plains 
which we know from Judges i, 31, the Hebrews could not subdue, and, by 
the way, I believe that Sisera pitched between Taanach and Megiddo, lie- 
cause, as stated in the passage from Judges, those towns were still in the 
hands of the Canaanites." — TJie Land and the Book, ii, p. 143. 

Hashmo'nah, fatness, fat soil, a station of the Israelites in the wilderness, 
mentioned Num xxxiii, 29, as next before Moseroth, which, from xx, 28, 
and Deut. x, 6, was near Mount Hor. It is not known ; but Mr. Wilton 
inclines to identify it with Heshmon, Josh, xv, 27. 

Hassena'ah, the thorny, the name probably of a town, Senaah, (see Ezra 
ii, 35 ; Neh. vii, 38.) with-the (Hebrew) definite article prefixed. The men 
of this place built the Fish Gate at Jerusalem, Neh. hi, 3. Its site is un- 
known. ' 

Hau'ran, (Map 5,) caves, cave-land, a province of Palestine, east of the 
Jordan, embracing a portion of the ancient kingdom of Bashan. Ezekiel 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 169 

mentions it in defining the north-eastern boundary of the Holy Land, xlvii, 
16, 18. There can be but little doubt that this region is identical with the 
well-known Greek province of Auranitis and the modern Hauran. This 
province is bounded on the west by Gaulonitis, on the north by the wild and 
rocky district of Trachonitis, on the east by the mountainous region of Ba- 
tamea, and on the south by the great plain of Moab. The surface is per- 
fectly flat, and the soil is among the richest in Syria. The whole district 
abounds in caves. It contains upward of a hundred towns and villages, 
most of them now deserted, though not ruined. The buildings in many of 
these are remarkable, the walls of great thickness, the roofs, doors, and 
even the window-shutters, are of stone, and they are evidently of very re- 
mote antiquity. See Argob ; Bashan. 

The name of this region is applied by those at a distance to the whole 
country east of Jauldn, but the inhabitants themselves define it as above. 
See Porter's Giant Cities of Bashan, and his Hand-book of Syria and Pales- 
tine. 

Hav'ilah or Havi'lah, perhaps terror ; that suffers pain. A country so 
named is described in the account of Eden as producing gold, bdellium, and 
the onyx stone, Gen. ii, 11. It is also said to border on the east toward 
Assyria, on the Ishmaelite and on the Amalekite territory, xxv, 18; 1 Sam. 
xv, 7. It is reckoned among the Cushite countries, together with districts 
on the Arabian Gulf, Gen. x, 7 ; and among Joktanite countries with dis- 
tricts contiguous to the Persian Gulf, xxix. There is, however, an inter- 
mixture in both the places referred to — in the first, of regions on the Persian, 
in the second, of regions on the Arabian Gulf. "It follows, therefore," says 
Kalisch, " that in both instances Havilah designates the same country, ex- 
tending at least from the Persian to the Arabian Gulf, and, on account of its 
vast extent, easily divided into two distinct parts. Where these two cen- 
ters of the people of Havilah were it is at present impossible to decide. We 
have no means of ascertaining whether they were in the land of the Chau- 
lotaei, near the Nabatsei, on the Persian Gulf, or in the territory of the 
Avalita?, on the African coast, near the Bab-el-Mandeb, the present Zeyla." 
(Com. on the Old Test, Gen.) Some writers, however, imagine that more 
than one Havilah is spoken of in Scripture, and some find the name in 
Khawlan, a district of the Yemen, and there are still other conjectural locali- 
ties. The Khawlan referred to is a fertile territory, embracing a large part 
of myrrhiferous Arabia. 

Ha'voth-Ja'ir, (Map 13,) villages of Jair, the name applied to certain villages 
on the east of the Jordan, in Gilead or Bashan, which Jair took and possessed, 
Num. xxxii, 41 ; Judges x, 4. In the original, references are found in Deui. 
hi, 14, Josh, xiii, 30; 1 Kings iv, 13; 1 Chron. ii, 23. All these towns, 
both in Gilead and Bashan, formed one of Solomon's commissariat districts. 
See Jair; Bashan-Havoth-Jair. 

Ha'zar-Ad'dar, village of Addar, or of greatness, a place on the southern 
boundary of the Holy Land, Num. xxxiv, 4. It is called Adar in Josh, xv, 
3. Possibly it is 'Ain el-Kudeirdt, or Adeirdt, to the west of Kadesh-Barnea ; 
but this is only conjecture. 

Ha'zar-E'nan, village of fountains, the junction of the north and east 
boundaries of the Promised Land, Num. xxxiv, 9, 10. It is mentioned as a 
boundary place also in Ezek, xlvii, 17 ; xlviii, 1. 

Mr. Porter supposes this place to be identical with the modern village of 



170 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Kuryetein, which is more than sixty miles east-north-east of Damascus- 
Here are large fountains, the only ones in that vast region; and here are 
found fragments of columns, with other ruins ; but this identification may 
be considered as doubtful, chiefly on account of the great distance of the 
place from Damascus and the body of Palestine. 

Ha'zar-Gad'dah, village of fortune, or, perhaps, of the kid, a town in the 
extreme south of Judah, Josh. xv. 27. Conder identifies this site with 
El Glturra. The ruins include three reservoirs, two caves, buildings of 
blocks of flint — the entire site being inclosed by a wall of blocks of flint. 

Ha'zar-Hat'ticon, middle village, a place probably east of Damascus 
named in Ezekiel's prophecy of the ultimate boundaries of the land, Ezek. 
xlvii, 16, and specified as being on the boundary of Hauran. It is no + i 
identified. 

Ha'zarma'veth, the court of death, the name of one of the sons of Jok- 
tan, Gen. x, 26; 1 Chron. i, 20. This name is preserved, almost literally, in 
the Arabic Hadramawt, the appellation of a province in southern Arabia, 
east of the modern Yemen. The inhabitants carry on a considerable trade 
in frankincense, myrrh, gum, and other products. Their language is a dia- 
lect materially differing from that spoken in Yemen. 

Ha'zar-Shu'al, fox village, or village of jackals, a town in the south of 
Palestine, originally in the territory of Judah, afterward allotted to Simeon, 
Josh, xv, 28; xix, 3; I Chron. iv, 28. It is mentioned as inhabited after 
the captivity, Neh. xi, 27. 

Mr. Wilton inclines to identify it with Beni-Shail, not far from Gaza. 
Yan de Yelde's map places it at the ruins of Saweh, between Beersheba 
and Moladah. Conder (1875) coincides with Yan de Yelde. 

Ha'zar-Su'sah, and Ha'zar-Su'sim, horse village, and village of horses, one 
of the cities allotted to Simeon in the extreme south of the territory of 
Judah, Josh, xix, 5 ; 1 Chron. iv, 31. 

Stanley (Sinai and Palestine) thinks this might be, like Beth-Marcaboth, 
the "chariot-station," a depot for horses, such as those which in Solomon's 
time went to and fro between Egypt and Palestine. It is doubtful whether 
there were any such communication between those countries as early as the 
time of Joshua; but may not the rich grassy plains around Beersheba 
(Robinson, B. R., i, 203) have been used at certain seasons by the ancient 
tribes of Southern Palestine for pasturing their war and chariot horses, just 
as the grassy plains of Jauldn are used at the present day by the Druze 
chiefs of Lebanon, and the Turkish cavalry and artillery at Damascus ? 
(Porter in Kitto, ii, 243.) 

This place may possibly be identical with Sansannah, which "Wilton be- 
lieves to have been in the modern Wady es-Suny or Sunieh, not far from 
Gaza, on the caravan road between that place and Sinai, (The Negtb, pp. 
212-215.) 

Haze'rim, the villages, the plural form of Hazer, which latter is the sama 
with Eazar, occurring in composition with other words, as above. 

Iu Deut. ii, 28 the Avims are said to have lived in "Hazerim," that is, in 
the villages, as far as Gaza, before their expulsion by the Caphtorim. 

Mr. Grove says : " As far as we can now appreciate the meaning of the 
term, it implies that the Avim were a wandering tribe who had retained in 
their new locality the transitory form of encampment of their ongiiial 
desert life." 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 171 

Haze'roth, (Map 2,) villages, a station of the Israelites in the desert, 
mentioned next to Kibroth-Hattaavah, Num. xi, 35; xii, 16; xxxiii, 17; 
Dent. :, 1. It is doubtless identical with Hudhera, which lies about eighteen 
hems' distance from Sinai on the road to Akabah. 

Haz'e'zon-Ta'mar, and Haz'a'zon-Ta'mar, pruning or felling of the palm, 
the ancient name of Engedi, Gen. xiv, 7 ; 2 Chron. xx, 2. See Ex« 

GEDI. 

Ha'zor, (Map 5,) inclosure, castle. 1. A fortified city, which, on tho 
occupation of the country, was allotted to Naphtali, Josh, xix, 36. It was also 
called Asor and Nasor, 1 Mace, xi, 67. Its position was apparently between 
Ramah and Kedesh, (Josh, xii, 19,) on the high ground overlooking the 
Lake of Merom. There is no reason for supposing it a different place from 
that of which Jabin was king (Josh, xi, 1) both when Joshua gained his 
Bigual victory over the northern confederation, and when Deborah and 
Barak routed his general, Sisera, Judg. iv, 2, 17 ; 1 Sam. xii, 9. It was the 
chief city of the whole of northern Palestine, Josh, xi, 10. It stood on 
an eminence, but the district around must have been on the whole Hat, and 
suitable for the maneuvers of the "very many" chariots and horses which 
formed part of the foices of the King of Hazor and his confederates, Josh. 
xi, 4, 6, 9 ; Judg iv ; 3. Hazor was the only one of those northern cities 
which was burned by Toshua, it being doubtless too strong and important 
to leave standing in his rear. Whether it was rebuilt by the men of Naph- 
tali, or by the second Jabin, (Judg. iv,) we are not told; but Solomon did not 
overlook so important a post, and the fortification of Hazor, Megiddo, and 
Gezer, the points of defense for the entrance from Syria and Assyria, the 
plain of Esdraelon, and the great maritime lowland, respectively, was one of 
the chief pretexts for his levy of taxes, 1 Kings ix, 15. Later still it ia 
mentioned in the list of the towns and districts whose inhabitants were car- 
ried to Assyria by Tiglath-Pileser, 2 Kings xv, 29. The site is quite uncer- 
tain. Dr. Robinson suggests Tell Khuraibeh as the spot, a rocky peak a 
few miles south of Kedesh; of which Mr. Grove says, ""We may accept 
it until a better is discovered." Mr. Porter suggests as a more probable 
site some ruins which he found occupying a commanding spot on the south 
bank of Wady Ilenddj, about six miles south of Kedesh. Captains Wilson 
and Anderson identify Hazor with Tel Flara, a little to the south-east of 
Kedesh, a place of great strength, with many ruins. 

2. One of the cities of Judah in the extreme south, named next in order 
to Kedesh, Josh, xv, 23. It is not known. 

3. Hazor-Hadattah ("new Hazor,") also in the south of Judah, Josh, 
xv, 25. Also not known. 

4. " Hezron, which is Hazor," Josh, xv, 25. What Hazor is intended can- 
not now be determined. 

5. A place in which the Benjamites resided after their return from the 
captivity, Xeli. xi, 33. It seems to have been not very far north of Jeru- 
salem. Mr. Grove thinks it may possibly be identical with Tell 'Asur, north 
of Taiyibeh. 

Hebrew, He'brews. A name applied to the Israelites, Gen. xiv, 13. 
The meaning of the term is not agreed upon by critics. Four derivations 
have been proposed: 1. Patronymic from Abram. 2. Appellative from 
abar, to pass over, because Abraham crossed over the Euphrates to Canaan. 
3. App llatlve from eber, beyond, because the patriarch had once dwelt 



172 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

beyond that river. 4. Patronymic from Eber, Gen. x, 21, 24, 25; xi, 14-17. 

Dr. Alexander, editor of Kitto's Encyclopedia, says : " On the whole the deri- 
vation of Ibri (Hebrew) from Eber (the ancestor of Abraham) seems to have 
most in its favor and least against it." Mr. T. E. Brown (in Smith's Diction- 
ary) says: "It seems almost impossible for the defenders of the patronymic 
Eber theory to get over the difficulty arising from the circumstance that no 
special prominence is in genealogy assigned to Eber, such as might entitle 
him to the position of head or founder of the race. . . . There is nothing 
to distinguish Eber above Arphaxad, Peleg, or Serug." Each of these 
writers presents a strong array of learned names in support of his theory. 
The appellative derivation from ''eber, beyond, seems entitled to especial 
attention from the fact that, while the Jews used the patronjunic term 
Israelites in speaking of themselves among themselves, the term Hebrews 
was the name by which they were known to foreigners. Thus the latter is 
the word used when foreigners are introduced as speaking, Gen. xxxix, 
14, 17 ; xli, 12 ; Exod. i, 16 ; ii, 6 ; 1 Sam. iv, 6, 9 ; xiii, 19 ; xiv, 11 ; xxix, 33 ; 
or, where they are opposed to foreign nations, Gen. xliii, 32; Exod. i, 15; 
ii, 11 ; Deut. xv, 12 ; 1 Sam. xiii, 3, 7. In Greek and Roman writers we 
find the name Hebrews, or, in later times, Jews. The same contrast is found 
in the New Testament between Hebrews and foreigners, Acts vi, 1 ; Phil. 
3-5. The Hebrew language is distinguished from all others, Luke xxrii, 38 ; 
John v, 2; xix, 13; Acts xxi, 40; xxvi, 14; Rev. ix, 11. In 2 Cor. xi, 22, 
the word is used as only second to Israelite in the expression of national 
peculiarity. See Israel. 

Hebron, (Map 5,) alliance, friendship, the oldest town of Palestine. Its 
original name was Kirjath-Arba, Judg. i, 10, so called from Arba, the father 
of Anak, and progenitor of the giant Anakim, Josh, xxi, 11 ; xv, 13, 14. 
It was sometimes called Mamre, doubtless from Abraham's friend and ally, 
Mamre the Amorite, Gen. xxxiii, 19; xxxv, 27; but the "oak of Mamre," 
where the patriarch so often pitched his tent, appears to have been not in 
but near Hebron. Hebron is situated among the mountains of Judah, twenty 
Roman miles south of Jerusalem, and the same distance north of Beersheba, 
Josh, xv, 54; xx, 7. Not only was Hebron the oldest town in Palestine, but 
it also occupied the most lofty position, being two thousand eight hundred feet 
above the Mediterranean. It was " built seven years before Zoan," Num. 
xiii, 22; that is, Tanis in Egypt, and when Josephus wrote it was two thou- 
sand three hundred years old. In the time of the patriarchs we find Amorites 
or Hittites settled there, Gen. xiii, 18 ; xiv, 13 ; xxiii, 2, etc., 17, etc. ; xxxvii, 14. 
The Anakim, an old Semitic nation, must then have spread into that country 
and taken possession of the town, Gen. xxiii, 2; xxxv, 27; Josh, xiv, 15; 
xv, 13 ; Judg. i, 10. At the time the country was conquered by the Is. el- 
ites we find Canaanites and Anakim there. Joshua took Hebron, utterly 
destroying its inhabitants, Josh, x, 36, 37 ; xii, 10. But the Anakim must 
soon have recovered, and established themselves there again, xi, 21. 
Hebron was then given to Caleb, who, with Judah's aid, took it a second 
time, and finally expelled the Anakim, Josh, xiv, 12; xvi, 13, 54; Judg. i, 10. 
It became a city of refuge and was assigned to the priests, Josh, xx, 7 ; 
xxi, 1 1. Hence it is placed under the descendants of Caleb, 1 Chron. ii, 
42, etc., and those of Levi, Exod. vi, 18 ; Num. hi, 27 ; 1 Chron. v, 28. In 
Judg. xvi, 3, a hill is named, near Hebron, to which Samson carried the gates 
of Gaza. While David reigned over Judah alone (seven and a half years) 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 175 

Hebron was his residence, 2 Sam. ii, 1; iii, 3; v, 1-5. Absalom went 
thither to conceal his treasonable project under cover of performing a vow, 
but more probably because some malcontents there would favor his plot ; 
and there he raised the banner of rebellion, 2 Sam. xv, 7, etc. Rehoboam 
fortified Hebron as an important frontier post, 2 Chron. xi, 10, and after the 
exile it was still called Arba, Nek. xi, 25. When the Edomites took Pales- 
tine Hebron feU into their hands; but Judas Maccabeus retook it, tore down 
its fortresses, and burned its towers, 1 Mace, v, 65. Afterward the Romans 
stormed and burned it, but, being favorably located on the road from Jeru» 
salem to Beersheba, it recovered again. 

The modern name of Hebron is el-Khulil, " the friend," that is, of God. The 
city lies in the narrow "Valley of Eshcol," whose sides are clothed with 
vineyards, groves of olives, and other fruit-trees. Its population is esti- 
mated at from Ave thousand to ten thousand, including about sixty families 
of Jews. The houses are all of stone, solidly built, flat-roofed, each having 
one or two small cupolas. Among the buildings the Haram is most promi- 
nent. As it contains the sepulchers of the patriarchs, it has long been 
regarded with veneration, and visited by Jews, Christians, and Moslems ; it 
is, perhaps, the most remarkable remaining architectural relic in Palestine. 
For an account of the Haram see Machpelah. See Eshcol. 

A mile up the valley is a vast oak-tree, popularly said to be the tree of 
Mamre, under which Abraham pitched his tent. See Mamre. Two ancient 
pools remain, the lower one one hundred and thirty -three feet square and 
twenty-two feet deep, the upper eighty-five feet by fifty-five feet, and nine- 
teen feet deep. It might be over one of these that David hanged the mur- 
derers of Ish-Bosheth, 2 Sam. iv, 12. 

Hebron, perhaps passage, a city of Asher, apparently near Zidon, Josh, 
xix, 28. It is not identified. It may probably be the same as Abdon. 

He'lam, stronghold, a place between the Jordan and the Euphrates, 
where David gained a victory over the Syrians, 2 Sam. x, 16, 17. Many 
conjectures have been made as to the locality of Helam, but to none of them 
does any certainty attach. The most probable, perhaps, is, that it is identical 
with Alamatha, a town named by Ptolemy, and located by him on the west 
of the Euphrates near Nicephorium. 

Hel'bah, fatness, fertile region, a town of Asher, probably on the plain of 
Phoenicia, not far from Sidon, Judg. i, 31. 

Hel'bon, (Map 5,) fat, fertile, a place noted for excellent wines, which were 
conveyed to Tyre from Damascus, Ezek. xxvii, 18. Helbon has usually been 
thought to be the modern Aleppo ; but Mr. Porter thinks that the modern 
Helban, in Anti-Lebanon, near Damascus, is without doubt idertical with the 
place in question. Considerable ruins remain around the village, indicating 
ancient wealth and splendor. 

He'leph, exchange, a place on the boundary of Naphtali, Josh, xix, 33. 
Van de Velde would identify it with BeitRf, an ancient site nearly due east 
of Ras Abyad, and west of Kades ; but this identification is doubtful. 

Hel'kath, a portion, (in 1 Chron. vi, 75, called Hukok,) a border city of 
Asher, Josh, xix, 25, afterward allotted to the Gershonite Levites, xxi, 31. 
It is not identified. 

Helkath-Haz'zurim, the field of heroes, or of swords, a spot near Gibcon, 
where twelve of Joab's men encountered twelve of Abner's, the whole of 
the combatants falling, 2 Sam. ii, IS. 



176 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

He'math, fortress, 1 Chron. xiii, 5 ; Amos vi, 14. An incorrect form of 
Hamath. 

Hem' dan, pleasant, one of the descendants of Seir the Horite, (Ge i. xxxvi, 
26,) whose posterity probably were some of the tribes of Arabia Petreea. 
The name is Amram in 1 Chron. i, 41. 

He'na, perhaps a troubling, or low ground, a city conquered by some king 
of Assyria shortly before Sennacherib, 2 Kings xviii, 34; xix, 13; Isa. 
xxxvii, 13. It was probably on the Euphrates, where now stands Anah, or 
Ana, near Mosaib. 

He'pher, a pit, a well, a territory in Palestine, whose petty chief was de- 
stroyed by Joshua, Josh, xii, IT. It was part of one of Solomon's commis- 
sariat districts, 1 Kings iv, 10. It is not identified. 

Heph'zibah, my delight is in her, a name which is to be borne by the 
restored Jerusalem, Isa. lxii, 4. 

He'res, 1. A mount, Judg. i, 35; perhaps identical with Ir-Shemesh, 
which see. 

2. Isa. xix, 18, marg. See Ir-Haheres. 

Her'mon, Mount, (Map 5,) lofty or prominent peak, so called doubtless 
because it was visible from a very great distance. The Sidonians called it 
Sirion, from the root signifying "to glitter," and the Amorites Shenir, ("to 
clatter,") both words meaning "breastplate," and suggested by its rounded, 
glittering top when the sun's rays were reflected by the snow that covered 
it, Deut. iii, 9; Sol. Song iv, 8; Ezek. xxvii, 5. It was also named Sion, 
"the elevated," towering over all its compeers, Deut. iv, 48. 

Mount Hermon was on the north-eastern border of Palestine, Deut. 
iii, 8 ; Josh, xii, 1 ; over against Lebanon, Josh, xi, 17, adjoining the pla- 
teau of Bashan, 1 Chron. v, 23. 

It was the great landmark of the Israelites. It was associated with their 
northern border almost as intimately as the sea was with their western. 
Hermon rises boldly at the southern end of Anti-Libanus to the height of 
about ten thousand feet above the level of the sea. Its summit (or rather 
summits, for there are three) is a truncated cone, elevated two thousand or 
three thousand feet above the more continuous chain. Dr. Thomson de- 
scribes it as seen from Sarepta, from Tyre, and from the Dead Sea. 

The modern name of Hermon is Jebel esh-Sheikh, " the chief mountain," 
and sometimes Jebel eth-Thelj, "the snowy mountain." Through the spring 
till the earlier part of summer the top is covered with snow ; but as the 
weather becomes hotter large masses melt, and the snow remains only in 
the streaks in the ravines. On one of the summits are the remains of a cir- 
cular wall inclosing a small, ruined temple. Probably this marks the site 
of one of the "high places," where worship was paid to idols. " The dew 
of Hermon " (Psa. cxxiii, 3) was very likely the distillation of the vapors 
condensed by the snowy crown of the mountain ; and " Zion," in the same 
passage, is no doubt used as being one of the various names of Hermon. 
It may be added that the ridge Jebel Ed-Duhy, on the north of the valley 
of Jezreel, has been called the "Little Hermon." See Lebanon; Tabor. 

Her'monites, Psa. xlii, 7. Inaccurate. It is correctly "Hermons," that 
is, probably the range of Hermon. 

Hesh'bon, (Map 5,) reason, device, a city of the Amorites, originally be- 
longing to Moab, east of Jordan, on the boundary of Reuben and Gad ; re- 
built by Reuben and allotted tb the Levitfes, Num. xxi 25-34 ; xxxii, 3, 37 ; 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 177. 

Deut. i, 4 ; ii, 24-30 ; iii, 2, 6 ; iv, 46 ; xxix, 7 ; Josh. ix, 10 ; xii, 2. 5 ; xiii, 
10-27; xxi, 39; Judg. xi, 19, 26: 1 Chron. vi, 81. In later times the 
Moabites regained possession of Heshbon, so that it is mentioned as a 
Moabitish town in the prophetic denunciations against that people, Isa. xv, 
4; xvi, 8, 9; Jer. xlviii, 2, 34, 45 ; xlix, 3. The ruins of this city still exist 
twenty miles east of the point where the Jordan falls into the Dead Sea. 
They are called Hesbdn, and occupy a low hill in the great plain. ThePz aro 
some remarkable remains among them, and cisterns are still to be seen, with 
an ancient reservoir, Sol. Song vii, 4. 

Hesh'mon, fatness, fat soil, a town in the extreme south of Judah, Josh. 
xv, 27, probably near the Edomitish border. "Wilton would connect it with 
the Edomite king, Husham, Gen. xxxvi, 34, 35; and he identifies it with 
'ira Hasb. He also thinks it to be the same with Hashmonah, one of the 
Etations in the wanderings of Israel, Num. xxxiii, 29, 30. See Ayre's 
Treasury. Mr. Grove says it is perhaps identical with Azmon, but very 
doubtful. Conder identifies it with El Meshash. 

Heth, the soxs op, or children of. See Hittites. 

Heth Ion, wrapped up, hiding place, a place in the extreme north of the 
Holy Land, Ezek. xlvii, 15 ; xlviii, 1. Probably the " way of Hethlon " is 
the pass at the northern end of Lebanon from the sea-coast of the Mediter- 
ranean to the great plain of Hamath, and is thus identical with " the en- 
trance of Hamath " in Num. xxxiv, 8, etc. 

Hez'ron, Josh, xv, 25. See Hazor, (4.) 

Hid'dekel^ (Map 1,) the rapid Tigris, Tigris itself signifying velocity or an 
arrow. One of the rivers of Eden, Gen. ii, 14 ; Dan. x, 4. There can be no 
reasonable doubt that the Tigris is intended, the Arabic name of which is 
Dijleh. The whole length of the Tigris is estimated at one thousand one 
hundred and fifty miles. Between Diarbekram and Mosul, about three hun- 
dred miles, it is navigable for rafts in seasons of flood. 

In 1838 the steamer "Euphrates " ascended the stream to within twenty 
miles of Mosul. See Tigris. 

Hierap'olis, (Map 8,) sacred city, a city of Phrygia Magna, east of Colosse, 
and about six Roman miles north of Laodicea. Christianity was probably 
introduced here at the same time as at Colosse, Col. iv, 13. Its modern 
name is Pambouk-Kalessi. The situation of the city is extremely beautiful, 
and its ruins are considerable, the theater and gymnasium being the most 
conspicuous. The hot calcareous springs of the neighborhood have de- 
posited the vast and singular incrustations noticed by travelers. 

Hi'len, perhaps place of caves, a priests' city in Judah, 1 Chron. vi, 58 
It is called Holon in Josh, xv, 51 ; xxi, 15. 

Hinnom, Valley of, (Map 7.) Hinnom may perhaps signify lamentation, 
but its origin is unknown ; it may have been derived from some of its an- 
cient possessors. It was also called " the valley of the son " or " children 
of Hinnom." The later Jews termed it Ge Hinnom, Gehenna, to denote the 
place of eternal torment. See Josh, xviii, 16; 2 Chron. xxviii, 3; xxxiii, 6; 
Jer. xix, 2, 6. In Jer. ii, 23 it is called " the valley," and perhaps "the val- 
ley of dead bodies," xxxi, 40, and "the valley of vision," Isa. xxii, 1, 5. 

Hinnom is a deep and narrow ravine, with steep, rocky sides, to the south 
and west of Jerusalem, separating Mount Zion to the north from the " Hill 
of Evil Counsel " and the sloping, rocky plateau of the " plain of Rephaim " 
to the south. It is first mentioned in Josh, xv, 8; xviii, 16, where the 

9 



178 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

boundary line between Judah and Benjamin is accurately described as pass- 
ing along the bed of the ravine. 

On the southern brow, overlooking the valley at its eastern extremity, 
.Solomon erected high places for Moloch, (1 Kings xi, 7,) whose horrid rites 
were revived from time to time in the same vicinity by later idolatrous kings. 
Ahaz and Manasseh made their children "pass through the fire" in this 
valley, (2 Kings xvi, 3 ; 2 Chron. xxviii, 3 ; xxxiii, 6,) and the fiendish cus 
torn of infant sacrifice to the fire gods seems to have been kept up in Tophet 
at its south-east extremity for a considerable period, Jer. vii, 31; 2 Kings 
xxiii, 10. To put an end to these abominations the place was polluted by 
Josiah, who rendered it ceremonially unclean by spreading over it human 
bones and other corruptions, (2 Kings xxiii, 10, 13, 14; 2 Chron. xxxiv, 4, 5,) 
from which time it appears to have become the common cess-pool of the city, 
into which its sewage was conducted to be carried off by the waters of the 
Kidron, as well as a laystall where all its solid filth was collected. Most 
commentators follow Buxtorf, Lightfoot, and others, in asserting that per- 
petual fires were here kept up for the consumption of bodies of criminals, 
carcasses of animals, and whatever else was combustible ; but the Rabbin- 
ical authorities usually brought forward in support of this idea appear insuf- 
ficient, and Robinson declares (i, 274) that "there is no evidence of any 
other fires than those of Moloch having been kept up in this valley." 

The name by which the valley is now known is (in ignorance of the ini- 
tial syllable) Wddy Jeheunam, or Wddy er Rubeb, though in Mohammedan tra- 
ditions the Gehenna is applied to the valley of Kidron. Mr. Bartlett ( Walks 
aboili Jerusalem, pp. 62, 63,) says: "There is something in the scenery of 
this ♦alley and the hill above ; its tombs hewn in the rock, long since tenant- 
less ; the gray gloom of its old fig and olive trees starting from the fissures of 
the crags ; the overhanging wall of Zion, desolate almost as in the time of her 
captivity, that forcibly recalls the wild and mournful grandeur of the pro- 
phetic writings. Within it, too, is the traditionary 'Aceldama,' or Field of 
Blood, of the traitor Judas, a small plot of ground, overhung with one preci- 
pice and looking down another into the glen below, on which is a deep 
charnel-house, into which it was formerly the custom to throw the bodies of 
the dead, as the earth was supposed to have the power of rapidly consuming 
them. The place was selected as the burial-place of pilgrims who died at 
Jerusalem in the Middle Ages. Such are the scenes that have passed in 
Hinnom; it is like the scroll of the prophet, 'written within and without 
with mourning, lamenation, and woe.' " 

Hit'tite and Hit'tites, (Map 3,) from Heth, fear. A tribe of Canaan, 
called also " children of Heth," whose location was in the southern part of 
the land, Gen. x, 15; 1 Chron. i, 13; Gen. xv, 10; xxiii, 3-18. Abraham 
purchased from them the field and cave of Machpelah, Gen. xxiii. Esau's 
wives were from this people, Gen. xxvi, 34 ; xxxvi, 2. Notices of their ter- 
ritory are found in Gen. xxiii, 17-20; Num. xiii, 29; Josh, i, 4; Judg. i, 26. 
It was given to the Israelites, Exod. hi, 8 ; Deut. vii, 1 ; Josh, i, 4. Con- 
quered by Joshua, Josh, ix, 1, 2; x-xii; xxiv, 11. Imperfectly conquered, 
Judg. iii, 5. Intermarriages with the Israelites, Judg. hi, 6, 7 ; Ezra ix, 1 ; 
with Solomon, 1 Kings xi, 1. They were tributary to Solomon, 1 Kings ix, 
20, 21 ; 1 Chron. viii, 7, 8. Had kings in his reign, 1 Kings x, 29 ; 2 Chron. 
i, 17 ; and in Joram's, 2 Kings vii, 6. Uriah and Abimelech, David's can- 
tains, were Hittites, 1 Sam. xxvi, 6; 2 San. xi, 3; xxiii, 39. 



BIBLK GEOGRAPHY. 179 

The sacred record says nothing concerning the religion or worship of the 
Hittites. Even in the enumeration of Solomon's idolatrous worship of the 
gods of his wives — among whom were Hittite women (1 Kings xi, 1) — no 
Hittite deity is alluded to. See 1 Kings xi, 5, 7 ; 2 Kings xxiii, 13. 

Among the customs of the Hittites was the very peculiar oue of shaving 
a square place just above the ear, leaving the hair on the side of the face 
and whiskers hanging down in a long plaited lock. This frightful custom, 
and other eccentric dealings of the nations with their hair, throw some light 
upon the injunctions to avoid such customs, which we find in the books of 
the ^w. See, for instance, Lev. xix, 27. 

Hi'vite and Hi'vites, (Map 3,) variously defined as midlanders, villagers, 
serpents. One of the ancient peoples of Canaan, who appear to have 
gathered round two principal centers in the middle of Palestine, and toward 
the north, Gen. x, 17 ; 1 Chron. i, 15. The Shechemites belonged to this 
tribe, Gen. xxxiv, 2; and also the Gibeonites, Josh, ix, 7 ; xi, 19. One of 
Esau's wives a Hivite, Gen. xxxvi, 2. Reference to their territory, Josh, xi, 
3; Judg. iii, 3 ; 2 Sam. xxiv, 7. Given to the Israelites, Exod. xxiii, 23, 28; 
Deut. xx, 17. Conquered by Joshua, Josh, ix, 1; xii, 8; xxiv, 11. Imper- 
fectly conquered, Judg. iii, 5. Tributary to Solomon, 1 Kings ix, 20; 
2 Chron. viii, 7. 

Ho'bah, hidden, hiding place, the place to which Abraham pursued the 
confederate kings, Gen. xiv, 15. It lay north of Damascus. The village of 
Jobar, where the Jews have a synagogue dedicated to Elijah, is claimed by 
the Jews of Damascus as the Hobah of Scripture. Others claim as the site 
Burzeh, three miles north of Damascus. Here is shown a cleft in the rock, 
in which tradition represents Abraham staking refuge oil one occasion from 
the giant Nimrod. Delitzch (on Genesis) claims that Hobah is identified with 
a fountain called Hoba, near Karjeten, in the "land of Menadnir." 

Ho'lon, sandy. 

1. A town in the mountains of Judah, named between Goshen and Giloh, 
Josh, xv, 51. It was allotted with its " suburbs " to the priests, xxi, 15. In 
1 Chron. vi, 58, it is called Hilen. 

2. A city of Moab, Jer. xlviii, 21, in the Mishor, east of Jordan. There is 
no identification of either place. 

Ho mam, destruction. A descendant of Seir the Horite, 1 Chron. i, 39. 
In Gen. xxxvi, 32, the name is Heman. There is a town bearing the name 
of El-Homaimeh south from Petra, and on the hill Sherah, which the Arabic 
geographers describe as the native place of the Abassides. (Robinson, Bib. 
Res., ii, 572.) "With this Knobel compares Homam. (Kitto.) 

Hor, Mount, (Map 2,) the mountain, the mountain of mountains. 

1. A mountain on the boundary line or " at the edge " of the land of Edom, 
Num. xx, 23 : xxxiii, 37. It was the next halting place of the people after 
Kadash, (xx, 22 ; xxxiii, 37,) and they quitted it for Zalmonah, (xxxiii, 41,) in 
the road to the Red Sea, (xxi, 4.) It was while Israel was encamped by 
Hor that the divine command was issued for Aaron (who, on account of his 
disobedience at the water of Meribah, was not to enter Canaan) to go up and 
die there. Moses and Eleazar accompanied the aged priest to his death, 
the eyes of the congregation being fixed on them as they ascended. The 
sacerdotal garments were taken from him and put upon Eleazar his son. 
So Aaron died ; and Moses and Eleazar returned, and the people mourned 
for him thirty days, Num. xx, 24-29 ; xxxiii, 38, 39 ; Deut. xxxii, 50. It is 



180 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

true that Mosera is elsewhere (x, 6) named as the place of Aaron's death ; 
but Mosera was close by the mountain. 

Mount Hor is the highest and most conspicuous of the whole range of 
the sandstone mountains of Edom, having close beneath it on its eastern 
side the mysterious city of Petra. Its height, according to the latest meas- 
urements, is four thousand eight hundred feet above the Mediterranean, that 
is to say, about one thousand seven hundred feet above the town of Pens., 
four thousand above the level of the Arabah, and more than six thousand 
above the Dead Sea. The mountain is marked far and near by its double 
top, which rises like a huge castellated building from a lower base, and is 
surmounted by the circular dome of the tomb of Aaron, a distinct white 
spot on the dark red surface of the mountain. This lower base is the "plain 
of Aaron," beyond which Buckhardt, after all his toils, was prevented from 
ascending. The chapel or mosque of Aaron's tomb is a small square build- 
ing, measuring inside about twenty-eight feet by thirty-three, with its door 
in the south-west angle. It is built of rude stones, in part broken col- 
umns, all of sandstone ; but fragments of granite and marble lie all about. 
Steps lead to the flat roof of the chapel. The interior of the chapel consists 
of two chambers, one below the other. Between the two peaks is a little 
plain, marked by a white cypress. The tomb of Aaron is on the northern- 
most peak. According to travelers the impression received on the spot is 
that Aaron's death took place in the small basin between the peaks, and 
that the people were stationed either on the plain at the base of the peaks, 
or at that part of the Wady Abu-Kusheybeh from which the top is com- 
manded. 

Owing to the natural difficulties of the locality and the caprices of the 
Arabs, Mount Hor and Petra are more difficult of access than any other 
places which Christian travelers usually attempt to visit. The modern name 
of Hor is Jebel Nebi Hardn. Mr. Wilton {The Negeb. pp. 126-134) rejects 
this traditional site of Hor, and suggests Jebel Moderah, on the opposite side 
of the Arabah, some distance to the north-east. No force in the suggestion. 

2. A mountain named only in Num. xxxiv, 7, 8, as one of the marks of 
the northern boundary of the land which the children of Israel were about 
to conquer. The great range of Lebanon is so clearly the natural northern 
boundary of the country that there seems no reason to doubt that the 
whole range is intended by the term Hor. 

Ho'reb, (Map 1,) dry, desert, probably another name for the whole or part 
of Sinai, Exod. hi, 1; xvii, 6; xxxiii, 6; Deut. i, 2, 6, 19; iv, 10, 15; v, 2; 
ix, 8; xviii, 16; xxix, 1; 1 Kings viii, 9; xix, 8; 2 Chron. v, 10; Psalm 
cvi, 19; Mai. iv, 4; Ecclesiasticus xlviii, 7. See Sinai. 

Ho'rem, devoted, a city of Naphtali, named with Iron and Migdal-el 
Josh, xix, 38. Yan de Yelde suggests Rurah as the site of Hprem, in the 
center of the country, half way between the Ras en-Nakhura and Lake Merom, 
on a tell at the southern end of the Wady el-Ain. 

Hor-Hagid'gad, (Map 2,) possibly the mount of thunder, or the conspicu- 
ous mountain, a station of the Israelites in the desert, Num. xxxiii, 32; prob- 
ably the same as Gudgodah, Deut. x, 7. As the order in both passages is 
not strictly preserved, Hengstenberg has sought to account for this by sup- 
posing that they were, in Deut. x, 7, going the opposite way to that in Num. 
xxxiii, 32. [Genuineness of the Pentateuch ii, 356.) Mr. Wilton is inclined to 
regard the visit to Hor-Hagidgad as distinct from the journey to Gudgodah ; 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 181 

b'o that thus the two places would not be absolutely identical. He considers 
Gudgodab the wady or valley, and Hor-Hagidgad a mountain near. Dr. Rob- 
inson describes here "a lone conical mountain," which "forms a conspicuous 
landmark for the traveler." This, now caUed Jebel Araif en-Ndhah, may be 
Hor-Hagidgad. (The Negeb, pp. 131, 132.) See Smith and Ayre. 

Ho'ri, Ho'rites, and Ho'rims, (Map 3,) dwellers in caverns, the original 
inhabitants of Mount Seir, probably dwellers in holes and caves, Gen. xiv, 6. 
They were smitten by Chedorlaomer and his confederates, and afterward 
entirely dispossessed by tbe descendants of Esau, Deut. ii, 12, 22. Their 
genealogy is given hi Gen. xxxvi, 20-30 ; 1 Chron. i, 38-42 ; but nothing 
further is recorded of them. Their excavated dwellings are still found in 
hundreds iu the sandstone cliffs and mountains of Edom, and especially in 
Petra. Thoy seem to have been designated more according to their mode 
of life than to their specific race. 

Hor'mah, (Map 5,) place desolated, the city of a Canaanitish king who 
attacked the Israelites; on which they vowed that if they succeeded in de- 
feating their assailants they would utterly destroy the city. It had before 
been called Zephath; but it had at once, as a doomed place, the name 
Hormah given it, though the vow does not seem to have been accomplished 
till a later period, Num. xiv. 45 ; xxi, 1-3 ; Deut. i, 44. The king is enu- 
merated among those that were destroyed in the general war, Josh, xii, 14; 
and the town was allotted first to Judah, afterward to Simeon, xv, 30; 
xix, 4. It was Judah, therefore, and Simeon, who sacked Hormah ; but it 
seems to have been subsequently rebuilt, 1 Sam. xxx, 30 ; 1 Chron. iv, 30. 
Hormah Is doubtless identical with Sebaita, near the well of Rehoboth. The 
ruins are both considerable and imposing. The name Sebaita is etymologically 
identical with Zephath. The town contains three large church edifices, built 
of massive masonry, presenting the appearance of fortresses. They may 
probably be referred to the fourth or fifth century. (See Desert of the Exodus.) 

Hor'ona'im, two caverns, a Moabitish town near Nimrim and Luhith, pos- 
sibly upon an eminence, Isa. xv, 5 ; Jer. xlviii, 3, 5, 34. Unknown. 

Hor'onite, the name applied to Sanballat, who was one of the principal 
opponents of Nehemiah's works of restoration, Neh. ii, 10, 19; xiii, 28. He 
was probably a native of Horonaim, although Furst says of Horon — that is, 
Beth-Horon. 

Ho'sah, a refuge, a city of Asher, the next landmark on the boundary to 
Tyre, Josh, xix, 29. Unknown. 

Huk'kok, decreed, according to some, scribe, moat, a border place of 
Naphtali, Josh, xix, 34. It is probably identical with Yakuk, seven miles 
south of Safed. 

Hu'kok, (id.,) a Levitical city of Asher, 1 Chron. vi, 15. In Josh, xxi, 3), 
it is Helkath. 

Hul, circle, the name of a son of Aram, and grandson Gf Shem, Gen. x, 23 ; 
1 Chron. i, 17. The position occupied by his descendants Is not accurately 
determined. The most probable opinion locates them in the district to the 
north of Lake Merom, now Huleh. 

Hum'tah, a place of lizards, or possibly a bulwark, a city in the lull 
country of Judah, Josh, xv, 54. It is unknown. 

Hu'shah, haste, a name in the genealogies of the tribe of Judah, 1 Chron 
iv, 4, which may designate a person, and very possibly a place, we cannot 
determine which. 



182 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Huz'zab, Nahum ii, 9. The margin reads, " Or, that which was estallished, 
or, there was a stand made" The meaning is uncertain. Ewald supposes 
it the name of the queen of Nineveh. Rawlinson suggests the Zab country, 
that is. the district watered by the two Zab rivers in Assyria. Mr. Grove also 
inclines to this opinion. Gesenius, uniting the word to the preceding ve?se, 
translates, "the palace is dissolved and made to flow down; " while Hen- 
derson, (Minor Prophets, p 282,) preferring an exactly opposite meaning, 
reads, " the palace is dissolved, though firmly established." 

Hydas'pes, a river mentioned in Judith i, 6. It is not the Hydaspes o5 
India, but it is uncertain what river is intended. Mr. Bevan (in Smith's 
Dictionary) says that it may perhaps be identical with the Choaspes of 
Susiana. 

Ib'Ieam, he consumes the people, a uty of Manasseh, but territorially be- 
longing to another tribe, either of Issachar or Asher, Josh, xvii, 1 1 ; Judges 
i, 27 ; 2 Kings ix, 27. It is doubtless identical with Bileam, 1 Chron. vi, 70. 
Probably the village Jelama, north of Jenin, marks the pite. 

Ico'nium, (Map 8,) a considerable city of Asia Minor, generally considered 
as belonging to Lycaonia, though Xenophon calls it the last city of Phrygia, 
and Ammianus Marcellinus places it in Pisidia. It was on the great line of 
communication between Ephesus and the western coast of the peninsula on 
one side, and Tarsus, Antioch, and the Euphrates on the other. Iconium 
was well chosen for missionary operations. St. Paul first visited Iconium 
with Barnabas from Antioch in Pisidia. Their preaching and miracles were 
made effectual to the conversion of many ; but, a persecution being stirred 
up by the Jews, the apostles fled to Lystra and Derbe. They visited Ico- 
nium again, however, before returning to the Syrian Antioch, Acts xiii, 
50, 51; xiv; 2 Tim. hi, 11. Paul must have been at Iconium in his next 
journey with Silas, Acts xvi, 1-6, and very possibly at a later period, xviii, 23. 

It is now called Konieh. Its population is about thirty thousand. Im- 
posing ruins of Saracenic architecture remain. 

Ida'lah, or Id'alah, what God exalts, memorial stone of God, or he goes 
softly. A city of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 15, probably not far from Bethlehem, 
west of Nazareth. 

Idumae'a, or Idume'a, (Map 5,) the Greek form of the name Edom. which 
see, Isa. xxxiv, 5, 6; Ezek. xxxv, 15; xxxvi, 5; 1 Mace, iv, 15, 29, 61; 
v, 3 ; vi, 31 ; 2 Mace, xii, 32 ; Mark iii, 8. 

I'im, ruins, rubbish. 1. Num. xxxiii, 45. The contracted form of Ije- 
Abarim, a station of the Israelites. 

2. A town in the extreme south of Judah, Josh, xv, 29. 

"Wilton connects it with Azem, which follows, and supposes the real place 
to be Ije-Azem, and identifies it with the ruins of El-Aujeh (or 'Abdeh) of 
the 'Azazimeh Arabs. 

Ij'e-Ab'arim, (Map 2,) ruins oj Abarim, or of the further regions, a station 
of the Israelites, Num. xxi, 11; xxxiii, 44, called also (in 45) Iim. It was 
next to the torrent Zared, and on the south border of Moab. The site is 
unknown. 

I'jon, (Map 5,) a ruin, a town in the north of Palestine belonging to 
Naphtali. It was taken and plundered by Ben-Hadad, 1 King xv, 20; 
2 Chron. xvi, 4. Again it was plundered by Tiglath-Pileser, 2 Kings xv, 
29. Its ruins are possibly those on Tell Dibbin, a noble site on the fertile 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 183 

and beautiful little plain called JHerj 'Ayiln, a few miles north-west of the 
site of Dan, where traces of a strong and ancient city exist. 

Illyr icum, (Map 8,) an extensive district lying along the eastern coast of 
the Adriatic from the boundary of Italy on the north to Epirus on the 
south, and contiguous to Moesia and Macedonia on the east. It was divided 
into two portions — Illyris Barbara, the northern, and Illyris Grasca, the 
southern. "Within these limits was included Dalmatia, which appears to 
have been used indifferently with Illyricum for a portion, and ultimately for 
the whole of the district. St. Paul records that he preached the Gospel 
" round about unto Illyricum," Rom. xv, 19. He probably uses the term in 
its most extensive sense, and the part visited (if, indeed, he crossed the 
boundary at all) would have been about Dyrrachium. 

Im'mer, talkative, the name of a place apparently in Babylonia, Ezra ii, 
59; Neh. vii, 61. 

In dia, (Map 5.) This word occurs first in Esther i, 1 ; viii, 9, as the 
limit of the territories of Ahasuerus in the East, as Ethiopia was in the 
West. The Hebrew form Hoddu is an abbreviation of Uonadu, which is iden- 
tical with the indigenous names of the river Indus, " Hindu," or " Sindliu," 
and again with the ancient name of the country as it appears in the Vend?- 
dad, " Hapta Hendu." It is evident that India, as here mentioned, did not 
include the peninsula of Hindostan, but the districts around the Indus — the 
Punjab, and, it may be, Scinde. India, in the same sense, occurs in the 
Apocrypha, 1 Esdras iii, 2; Rest of Esther xiii, 1; xvi, 1. It is also men- 
tioned (but by mistake probably for Ionia) in 1 Mace, viii, 8. Though, 
however, India proper is not named in Scripture, yet it is very likely that 
Solomon and the Tyrians carried on an Indian trade, and, at a later period, 
natives of that country seem to have been employed in guiding the ele- 
phants which were used in war, 1 Mace, vi, 37. 

Ir-Hahe'res. In Isa. xix, 18, the Hebrew is rendered ,s City of Destruc- 
tion," though, as is suggested in the margin of the Authorized Version, the 
original might be taken as the proper name of a city of Egypt. The mean- 
ing of the verse is very obscure, and has been variously interpreted. A 
number of ancient manuscripts warrant the signification, "City of the Sun," 
in which case it might be identical with Heliopolis, the famous city of 
Lower Egypt, called On in Gen. xli, 45, and Beth-Shemesh (" City of the 
Sun ") in Jer. xliii, 13. 

Other opinions have been given, but they are generally too fanciful to 
record. 

Calvin uses the word as a descriptive title, and not as a proper name. The 
prophecy of the whole verse would thus express the idea that for one town 
of Egypt which should perish in unbelief Jive should profess the true faith, 
ana swear fealty to the Lord. 

Mr. Poole (in Smith's Diet.) says : " If the prophecy is to be understood 
in a proper sense, we can, however, see no other time to which it applies, 
and must suppose that Ir-Haheres was one of the cities partly or wholly 
inhabited by the Jews in Egypt. Of these Onion (Onias) was the most im- 
portant, and to it the rendering, 'One shall be called a city of destruction,' 
would apply, since it was destroyed by Titus, while Alexandria, and per- 
haps the other cities, yet stand. If the prophecy is to be taken tropically, 
the best readmg and rendering can only be determined by verbal criticism." 
See Kitto. 



184 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Ir-Na'hash, serpent city, a name occurring among the genealogies of Ju- 
dah, 1 Chron. iv, 12. The margin reads "the city of Nahash." No trace 
of this name is found. 

I'ron, piety, pious, a city of Naphtali named between En-hazor and Mig- 
dal-el, Josh, xix, 38. Mr. Grove thinks it possibly Yar&n. 

Ir'peel, God restores, or heals, an ancient town of Benjamin, apparently 
situated on the mountain ridge north of Jerusalem, Josh, xviii, 27. The 
site is unknown. 

Ir-She'mesh, City of the Sun, a city of Dan, near Zorah and Eshtaol, 
Josh, xix, 41. It is doubtless identical with Beth-Shemesh, (1,) which see. 

Ishmaelites, from Ishmael, whom God hears. Sometimes the actual de- 
scendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, are meant by this 
term, and sometimes it seems to comprehend more generally the neighbor- 
ing Abrahamic tribes, Judges viii, 24; 1 Chron. xxvii, 30; Psa. liii, 6. 
Nearly four thousand years have passed since the Ishmaelites became a 
nation, and yet in disposition, in manners, in habits, in government, in occu- 
pation, and even in dress, they are the same as they were at the first. 
Since the days of Abraham the tents of the Ishmaelites have been studded 
along the whole eastern confines of Palestine, and they have been scattered 
over Arabia from the borders of Egypt to the banks of the Euphrates. 

Ishmeelites, Gen. xxxvii, 25, 27, 28; xxxix, 1; 1 Chron. ii, 17. The 
same as Ishmaelites. 

Ish'tob, men of Tob, apparently one of the small kingdoms or states that 
formed part of the general country of Aram, 2 Sam. x, 6, 8. Although in 
the ancient versions the name is given as one word, yet it is probable that 
the real signification is the "men of Tob," a district mentioned also in con- 
nection with Ammon in the records of Jephthah, and again, perhaps, under 
the shape of Tobie or Tuhieni, in the history of the Maccabees. See Tob. 

Is'rael, warrior, prince, contender, or wrestler with God. The name re- 
ceived from God by the patriarch Jacob on the occasion of the mysterious 
interview on Peniel. Geographically considered, it is the designation of the 
people descended from Jacob, Gen. xlviii, 20 ; Exod. v, 2 ; Num. xxi, 1 ; 
Josh, iv, 22 ; Bom. ix, 6, etc. Sometimes the fuller expression, " children 
of Israel," occurs. It is also employed to designate the ten tribes which 
separated from Judah and formed the kingdom of Israel, 2 Sam. ii, 9; 

1 Kings xii, 1, etc. (See Map 14.) 

This separation occurred after the death of Solomon, under Jeroboam, the 
leader of the revolt. Shechem was fixed upon and fortified as the capital 
of the new kingdom, 1 Kings xii, 25. The beauty of Tirzah led the king to 
make that city his second capital, 1 Kings xiv, 17. Tirzah continued to le 
the chief city of Israel until Omri built Samaria as his capital. This city 
occupied a magnificent site, and was very strongly fortified. It was re* 
peatedly besieged ; but it held out against the Assyrians for three years, 

2 Kings xvii, 5, while Jerusalem itself was reduced by Nebuchadnezzar in 
a year and a half, xxv, 1-3. Frequently the dynasties of Israel were broken, 
and repeatedly did the Syrian power impose the most humbling terms on 
Israel. Occasionally Israel was the victor, but the monarchy gradually 
grew weaker until at length the Assyrians captured Samaria, (B. C. 721,) 
and the tribes of Israel were carried away captive, and their country was 
occupied by colonists from the East. See 1 Kings xv, 20; xx, 1-4; 2 Kings 
xiii. 3-7. 22-25 • xiv. 25-28 ; xv, 29 ; xvii, 6, 24. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 185 

Subsequently a mixed population inhabited the land. Although after the 
fall of Babylon many persons of the various tribes returned, and although 
the name Israel was applied to the whole people as settled, again in Palestine, 
(Ezra ii, 70 ; x, 5 ; Neh. xii, 47,) yet Israel existed no longer as a nation. 
See Judah, Jerusalem, Wilderness. 

Is'sachar, (Map 5,) there is reward, or he brings reward or wages. The 
tribe called after Issachar, a son of Jacob and Leah. On the journey to 
Canaan Issachar's place was east of the tabernacle, with his brothers Judnh 
and Zebulun, Num. ii, 5, the group moving foremost in the march, x, 15. 
Tho number of the fighting men of Issachar, when taken in the census 
at Sinai, was 54,400. Luring the journey they seem to have steadily in- 
creased, and after the mortality at Peor they amounted to 64,300, being in- 
ferior to none but Judah and Dan ; to the latter by only 100, Num. i, 29 ; 
xxvi, 25. The numbers given in 1 Chron. vii, 2, 4, 5, probably the census 
of Joab, amount in all to 145,600. 

The territory of Issachar in the Holy Land comprehended the most of 
the plain of Esdraelon and the neighboring districts — the granary of Pales- 
tine. Among its towns were Megiddo, Taanach, Shunem, Jezreel, Bethshan, 
and the villages of Endor, Aphek, and Ibleam, all historical names. The 
mountains of Tabor and Gilboa, and the valley of Jezreel, were in the ter- 
ritory of this tribe, and the course of the Kishon lay through it. Manasseh had 
towns in its borders, Josh, xix, 17-23 ; xvii, 10, 11. With so fertile a 
territory this tribe devoted itself to agriculture, taking little interest in the 
affairs of the nation. But still there is no evidence that the tribe ever de- 
clined any military service to which it was called. Deborah commends it 
for its promptitude in the war with Jabin, Judg. v, 15 ; and in the days of 
David it received honorable mention, 1 Chron. xii, 32. Issachar took part 
in the passover with which Hezekiah sanctified the opening of his reign, 
2 Chron. xxx, 18; xxxi, 1. Within five years from this date Shalmaneser, 
King of Assyria, had invaded the north of Palestine, and, after three years' 
siege, had taken Samaria, and, with the rest of Israel, had carried Issachar 
away to his distant dominions. "There," says Mr. Grove, "we must be 
content to leave them, until, with the rest of their brothren of all the tribes 
of the children of Israel, (Dan only excepted,) the twelve thousand of the 
tribe of Issachar shall be sealed in their foreheads, Rev. vii, 7." 

It'aly, (Map 8,) the whole natural peninsula between the Alps and the 
Straits of Messina. At first, the name was applied only to the southern part 
of the peninsula, but in the New Testament it is used as we now employ it. 
The "Italian band" mentioned in Acts x, 1, doubtless consisted of men 
recruited in Italy. The expulsion of Priscilla and Aquila with their com- 
patriots " from Italy," (Acts xviii, 2,) suggests the large Jewish population 
which Italy is claimed to have contained. Much trade doubtless subsisted 
between Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean. Acts xxvii, 1 ; ILeb. 
xiii, 24, etc. See Rome. 

Ith'nan, bestowed, a city in the extreme south of Judah, Josh, xv, 23. In 
the Septuagint the name is corrupted by being attached to that next to it. 
Mr. Wilton would connect Ithnan with Hazor preceding it, and supposes 
that Hazor-Itlman was originally a Horite settlement, perhaps occupied by 
Ithnan, and this settlement he identifies with el-IIhora, a little east of Beer- 
aheba. (The Negeb, pp. 81-85.) But this identification is uncertain. 

It tah-Ka'zin, Ume of a judge, a landmark of the boundary of Zebulun, 



186 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

named next to Gath-Hepher, Josh, xix, 13. The name is probably more 
accurately Eth-Kazin, with the Hebrew particle of motion added. It is not 
identified. 

Iturae'a, or Iture'a, (Map 5,) a small province of Syria on the northern 
border of Bashan, which formed part of the tetrarchy of Philip the brother 
of Herod, Luke iii, 1. It appears to have derived its name from Jetur, one 
of the sons of Ishmael, whose descendants settled in this locality, Gen. 
xxv, 15. After the people of Israel had received their inheritance tho 
trans-Jordanic tribes attacked the Hagarites, on what ground is not stated, 
clearly, however, with the divine sanction, and overcame them, and their 
country was possessed by the half-tribe of Manasseh, 1 Chron. v, 18-23. 
For their own apostasy the Israelites were afterward carried into captivity, 
and their land became a part of the Assyrian empire, xxv, 26. The Ish- 
maelites were not entirely rooted out of Iturea. In the second century B. C. 
Aristobulus, the King of the Jews, reconquered it. The inhabitants being 
allowed to choose between exile and Judaism, many preferred the first. 
Iturea was subsequently made a part of the dominions of Herod the Great, 
who bequeathed it with some adjoining territories to his son Philip. It is 
now known as Jedur, lying south of Damascus, and north of the Hauran. 
It consists of table-land with an undulating surface, the northern part 
covered with jagged basaltic rocks, as if molten lava had been forced up 
through the ground, had spread itself around, and been torn and dislocated 
in cooling. The southern district is rich and well-watered. The towns and 
villages of the province are poor and desolate. 

I'vah, overturning, ruin, or possibly the name of a Babylonian God, Iva, rep- 
resenting the sky or ether. A city in Babylon, mentioned as having been 
subdued, in spite of its gods, by the Assyrian power, 2 Kings xviii, 34; 
xix, 13 ; Isa. xxxvii, 13. It appears to be the same with Ava, from which 
colonists were brought into Samaria, 2 Kings xvii, 24 ; and probably with 
the Ahava of Ezra viii, 15, 21, 31. The modern Hit, on the Euphrates, noted 
for bitumen springs, probably marks the site 

Ja'akan. See Bene-Jaakan. 

Ja-a'zer, and Ja'zer, whom he (God) helps, a city of the Amorites east 
of Jordan, in or near Gilead, Num. xxi, 32. It was conquered and assigned 
to Gad, and afterward allotted to the Merarite Levites, Num. xxxii, 35 ; 
Josh, xxi, 39. In David's reign it seems to have been occupied by Kohath- 
ites, 1 Chron. xxvi, 31, Hebron being a son of Kohath. In later timea 
Jazer had fallen into the hands of the Moabites, and is repeatedly mentioned 
in the prophetic denunciations against Moab, (Isa. xvi, 8, 9; Jer. xlviii, 32,) 
in connection with the vine of Sibmah. A sea of Jaazer, too, is spoken of; 
this may be some lake or pool in the neighborhood, or it may be the not 
distant Dead Sea. The site of Jaazer is not fully identified, but is probe bly 
at Seir or Sii; eight miles west of Amman, and ten north of Hesbdn. 

Jab'bok, (Map 5,) a pouring out, a stream falling into the Jordan about 
midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It was after Jacob 
had passed to the south bank of the Jabbok that his brother Esau met him, 
the mysterious wrestling with God having just occurred, Gen. xxxii, 22, 23. 
Jabbok is subsequently spoken of as the border of the children of Ammon, 
Num. xxi, 24; Deut. ii, 37; iii, 16; Josh, xii, 2 ; Judg. xi, 13, 22. It would 
seem that the territory of Ammon once extended as far north as this stream, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 187 

but that Sihon drove them beyond the Arnon ; and then, when Israel con- 
quered Sihon, they also took possession of the territory between the two 
rivers : Jabbok, however, still retaining the name of the Ammonite border. 
And the Ammonites had lingered in the neighborhood, for, on Sihon's de- 
feat, some of them retreated to the mountains where the Jabbok rises, and 
were established in their strong defiles ; these places Israel did not touch, 
and here was their capital, Rabbath-Ammon, 2 Sam. xi. 

The present name of Jabbok is Zurka, or Blue River. The Zurka cuts 
through Gilead in a deep narrow defile ; throughout the lower pwt cf its 
course it is fringed with thickets of cane and oleander, and the banks above 
are clothed with oak forests. Toward its mouth the stream is perennial, and 
in winter often impassable. 

Ja'besh-Gil'ead, (Map 5,) dry land in Gilead. A city of Gilead, situated 
on a mountain east of the Jordan. Because its inhabitants would not join 
in the crusade against Benjamin, the whole male population was destroyed, 
and virgins to the number of four hundred were seized, to be given in mar- 
riage to the remnant of the Benjamites, Judg. xxi, 8-14. However, the city 
survived and regained its importance. Being subsequently besieged by 
Nahash the Ammonite, the Israelites under Saul rose to rescue it, 1 Sam. 
xi, 1—11. Saul's kindness was not forgotten by the people of Jabesh. A 
bold troop of them stole down by night and took the bodies of Saul and his 
sons from the wall of Bethshan, (where, after the fatal field of Gilboa, they 
were exposed,) and buried them, 1 Sam. xxxi, 11-13; 1 Chron. x, 11, 12. 
This service David thankfully acknowledged, 2 Sam. ii, 4-6; though he 
afterward removed the bones to the sepulcher of Kish, xxi, 12-14. Prob- 
ably the site is at the present ruin ed-Deir, on the south side of the Wady 
Yabes, which enters the Jordan below Bethshan or Scythopolis. 

Ja'bez, he causes pain, apparently a place in Judah at which the families 
of the scribes resided who belonged to the families of the Kenites, 1 Chron. 
ii, 55. 

Jab'neel, (Map 5,) God causeth to he built 

1. A town on the border of Judah, Josh, xv, 11. It appears afterward to 
have been occupied by the Philistines, for (under the name of Jabneh) it was 
one of the places which Uzziah dismantled, 2 Chron. xxvi, 6. In Maccabean 
history it was known as Jamnia, 1 Mace, iv, 15 ; and noted as a school of 
learning after the fall of Jerusalem. According to Jewish tradition Gamaliel 
was here buried. It is now called Tebna, on a hill two miles from the sea 
and eleven south of Jaffa. It contains about three thousand people, all agri- 
culturists. There are thrashing-floors ranged all round the town. Remains 
of old buildings are found — possibly relics of the fortress called Ibelin, ouilt 
there by the crusaders. 

2. A town of Naphtali, Josh, xix, 33. Mr. Grove says, "We shouM be 
disposed to look for its traces at the north-west part of the Sea of Galilee, 
in the hill country." 

Jab'neh, he lets build. 2 Chron. xxvi, 6. See Jabxeel, (1.) 
Ja'gur, lodging -place, a city on the extreme south-eastern border of Judah 
toward Edom, Josh, xv, 21. Its name might indicate that it was one of the 
fortified camping grounds of the border Arabs. Nothing is known of it. 

Ja'haz, a place trodden down. It is called also Jahaza, Josh, xiii, 18; Ja- 
hazah, Josh, xxi, 36; Jer. xlviii, 21 ; and Jahzah, 1 Chron. vi, 78. A place 
where the decisive battle was fought between the Israelites and Sihon. which 



188 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

resulted in the occupation of the district between the Arnon and the Jabbok, 
Num. xxi, 23, 24; Deut. ii, 32; Judg. xi, 20. It was allotted to the tribe 
of Reuben, and afterward assigned to the Levites of the family of Merari ; 
but at a later period it seems to have been in the possession of Moab, Isa. 
xv, 4 ; Jer. xlviii, 34. Jahaz seems to have been just north of the Arnon ; 
but no identification has yet been made. 

Jaha'za, Jaha'zah, Jah'zah. See Jahaz. 

Jam'nia or Jamni'a. 1 Mace, iv, 15. See Jabneel and Jabneh, 

Jano'ah, rest, a town in northern Palestine seized by Tiglath-Pileser, 
2 Kings xv, 29. Its site is unknown. 

Jano'hah, rest, a place on the boundary of Ephraim, named between 
Taanath-Shiloh and Ataroth, the enumeration proceeding from west to east, 
Josh, xvi, 6, 7. It is doubtless identical with the modern village of Yanun, 
about eleven miles south-east of Nablus. Here are extensive ruins. Van de 
Velde says: "Entire houses and walls exist, covered with immense heaps 
of earth." On the hill north-east of Yanun are also ruins called Khirbet 
Yan&n. 

Ja'num, slumber, (in the margin, Janus, flight,) a town in the mountains of 
Judah, apparently not far from Hebron, Josh, xv, 53. 

Japhi'a, splendid, a place on the boundary of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 12. It 
is probably identical with Yafa, situated in a retired valley among the' rocky 
hills about two miles south-west of Nazareth. It contains about thirty 
houses and the ruins of a church. The Italian monks of Nazareth call it 
San Giacamo, believing it to be the native place of Zebedee and his sons 
James and John. 

Japh'leti, or Japhle'ti, the Japhletite, a landmark on the southern frontier 
of Ephraim, west of Beth-Horon the lower, and between it and Ataroth, Josh, 
xvi, 3. This name probably preserves the memory of some ancient tribe of 
which we have no knowledge. 

Ja'pho, beauty. Josh, xix, 46. Elsewhere Joppe and Joppa, which see. 

Ja'reb, an adversary. A term which is supposed by some to be the name 
of a king; by others that of the place where Jareb was king; while others 
regard the word as one appellative of the king, Hosea v, 13 ; x, 6. All are 
agreed that the king meant is the king of Assyria. Each theory has its able 
advocates. To consider it as an appellative seems the most probable expla- 
nation. See Henderson on the Minor Prophets, note on Hosea v, 13. 

Jar'muth, (Map 5,) height. 

1. A town in the low country of Judah, Josh, xv, 35. Its king joined in 
the confederacy against Gibeon, but was defeated and destroyed, Josh. 
x, 3-5, 22-26; xii, 11. After the return from the captivity it was inhabited 
by some of the children of Judah, Neh. xi, 29. The site is doubtless the mod- 
era Yarmuk, a small and poor village situated on the crest of a rugged hill 
about eight miles from Eleutheropolis. In the hewn stones and ruins remain 
a few traces of past strength and greatness. 

2. A town in Issachar allotted to the Gershonites, Josh, xxi, 29; identi- 
cal with the Remeth of Josh, xix, 21, and the Ramoth of 1 Chron. vi, 13. 
See Ramoth. 

Jash'ubi-Le'hem, returner to Bethlehem, the name of a person or a place- 
more probably the latter. We should infer that it lay on the western side 
of Judah, in or near the Shefelah, the low country, 1 Chron. iv, 22. 

Jat'tir, (Map 5,) pre-eminent, height, a town in the mountains of Judah, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 189 

allotted to the priests, Josh, xv, 48 ; xxi, 14 ; 1 Chroii. vi, 57. To its inhab- 
itants David sent presents, 1 Sam. xxx, 27. The two Ithrite heroes of 
David's guard were probably from Jattir. The site is doubtless identical 
with the ruins called 'Attir, lying on a hill six miles north of Molada, and ten 
south of Hebron. 
Ja'van, mud, clay. 

1. A name used sometimes more specially for Ionia, Isa. lxvi, 19; Ezek. 
xxvii, 13; for the Macedonian empire, Dan. viii, 21; x, 20; xi, 2; for the 
Grseco-Syrian empire, Zech. ix, 13. (See also Gen. x, 2. 4; 1 Chron. i, 5, 7.) 
Thus it signifies Grecia, Greece, or the Greek race generally. 

2. A town in southern Arabia whence the Phoenicians brought sword- 
blades, etc., EzSk. xxvii, 19. The reference in Joel iii, 6, is probably to this 
plrxe, which Tuch supposes to have been a Greek colony. It is probably 
id3ntical with Uzal in Yemen. 

Ja'zar. 1 Mace, v, 8. See Jaazer. 

Ja'zer. Num. xxxii, 1, 3. See Jaazer. 

Je'arim or Jea'rim, Mount, mount of forests, a place named in specify- 
ing the northern boundary of Judah, Josh, xv, 10. It is said to be Chesalon : 
perhaps Chesalon stood upon the mountain-ridge. The modern Kesla stands 
on what doubtless was Mount Jearim. There are still woods in the vicinity, 
and Kirjath- Jearim (if that be Kuriet el-Enab) is not far off to the northward, 
separated by the deep and wide hollow of Wady Ghurab. See Chesalon. 

Je'bus, place trodden down, thrashing-floor, the ancient name of Jerusalem, 
the capital and stronghold of the Jebusites, Judg. xix, 10, 11 ; 1 Chron. 
xi, 4, 5. See Jerusalem. 

Jebu'si, the name used for the city of Jebus in describing the landmarks 
and the towns of the allotment of Judah and Benjamin, Josh, xv, 8 ; 
xviii, 16, 28. 

Jeb'usite, The, the name of a highland tribe having its chief seat at 
Jebus, afterward Jerusalem, Gen. x, 16; 1 Chron. i, 14. This tribe was one 
of the seven nations of Canaan whom the Israelites were commanded to 
exterminate, Deut. vii, 1; xx, 17. Notices of their territory, Num. xiii, 29; 
Josh, xi, 3; xv, 8, 63; xviii, 16; Judges i, 21. Their land was given to 
Israel, Gen. xv, 21; Exod. iii, 8, 17; xxiii, 23. They were defeated by 
Joshua, Josh, ix, 1; x-xii; xxiv, 11. Adonizedek, king of Jebus, was 
slain by Joshua, Josh. x. See also Josh, xviii, 28; Judg. xix, 10; 1 Chron. 
xi, 4. Conquered by David, and Jerusalem taken, 2 Sam. v, 6-9. 

Araunah was a Jebusite, 2 Sam. xxiv, 16-24. Tributary to Solomon, 
1 Kings ix, 20. Intermarried with Israelites, Judges iii, 5, 6 ; Ezra ix, 1 2. 
See Jerusalem. 

Je'gar-Sa'hadu'tha. (Map 3,) the heap of witness, the Aramaean ncme- 
given by Laban to the heap of stones which he set up on Mount Gilead, 
Gen. xxxi, 47. There appear to have been both a pillar and a pile — the 
pillar set up by Jacob, and the pile or heap gathered by Laban and his sons. 
Then was there a solemn feast, and a sacrifice, and a covenant entered into, 
that neither the one nor the other should pass that pillar and heap to his 
brother's harm. See Galeed and Gilead. 

Jehosh'aphat, Valley of, (Map 7,) the valley where Jehovah judgeth, a 
valley mentioned only by Joel as the spot in which, after the return of Judah 
and Jerusalem from captivity, Jehovah would gather all the heathou, and 
would there sit to .iudge them for their misdeeds to Israel, Joel hi, 2, 12. 



190 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

By reference to these passages and their connection, it will to seen that the 
valley appears to have been intended to symbolize those bloody battle-fields 
where the hostile nations contiguous to Judea had signal vengeance inflicted 
on them. Many think a definite place is referred to ; and some say it is the 
"Valley of Berachah," where King Jehoshaphat obtained the signal victory 
over Ammon and Moab, 2 Chron. xx, 26. Some claim that the valley of the 
Kidron is meant ; and this is the traditional interpretation both among Jews 
and Christians. Thus for many years the valley of the Kidrcn has borne 
the name in question. The reference of the Prophet Joel has given rise to 
the current belief among Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans, that the Last 
Judgment will take place there. The Moslems show — as they have shown 
for certainly two centuries — the place on which Mohammed is to be seated at 
the Last Judgment, a stone jutting out from the east wall of the Haram area 
near the south corner, one of the pillars which once adorned the churches 
of Helena or Justinian, and of which multitudes are now embedded in the 
rude masonry of the more modern walls of Jerusalem. 

But for this traditional identification there is not the slightest ground, 
either in the Scripture or in Josephus. The name universally given to the 
glen is Kidron, 2 Sam. xv, 23 ; 1 Kings ii, 38 ; John xviii, 1 ; Joseph, Bell. 
Jud. v, 2, 3, etc. Also, the word translated "valley" is wholly inapplicable 
to the Kidron ; it signifies a low tract of land of wide extent, such as suited 
a battle-field, Job xxxix, 10, 21; Josh, xv, 8. The Kidron is always termed 
"torrent valley," or "glen." The Kidron is a narrow rocky ravine, and 
wholly unsuitable for such an event as is referred to by Joel ; and even 
though we could believe that the prophet referred to a specific valley, this 
could not be the true one. See Kidron. 

Jeho'vah-Ji'reh, Jehovah will see, or provide, the name given by Abraham 
to the place where the angel of the Lord appeared to him when about to 
offer up his son Isaac, Gen. xxii, 14. This name seems to have given place 
to Moriah, which was also probably the earlier name, (verse 2.) The cir- 
cumstance gave rise to a proverb, " In the mountain of Jehovah it will be 
seen," that is, foreseen, provided for ; so that it became a belief among the 
Jews that in the place which God had pointed out as his holy mountain, 
the place where he would be worshiped, there should be provision for the 
guidance of his people ; the place of worship should be the place of revela- 
tion. Mount Moriah became in after times the site of the Temple, 2 Chron. 
hi, 1 ; and then did these earlier intimations receive their full accomplishment. 

Jeho'vah-Nis'si, Jehovah my tanner, the name given by Moses to an 
altar erected by him in celebration of the great victory obtained by tho 
Israelites over the Amalekites, Exod. xvii, 15. It was erected either upon the 
hill overlooking the battle-field, upon which Moses sat with the staff of God 
in his hand, or upon the battle-field itself. According to Aben Ezra, it was 
on Horeb. Probably the allusion of the text is to the sacred rod which 
Moses held in his hand during the battle as a kind of banner, and which, as 
it was raised or lowered, influenced the result of the fight. 

Jeho'vah-Sha'lom, Jehovah is peace, the name given by Gideon to tho 
altar erected by him at Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites, to commemorate the salu- 
tation of the angel of the Lord, Judges vi, 24. 

Jeho'vah-Sham'mah, Jehovah is there, the name of the future Jerusalem, 
the Church of God, Ezek. xlviii, 35, margin. 

Je hud, praised, a city allotted to the tribe of Dan, Josh, xix, 45. It is 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



191 



probably identical with the village el Yehudijeh, about seven mfles east of 
Jaffa. 

Jekab'zeel, which God gathers, Neh. xi, 25, a fuller form of Kabzeel, 
which see. 
Jem'naan, Judith ii ; 28. Probably Jabneel or Jamnia. 
Je'rah, month, (from the same root as the moon,) a son of Joktan, Gen. 
x, 26 ; 1 Chron. i, 20. As he is placed next in succession to Hazarmavetli, 
we may conclude that the region colonized by him was in or near the prov- 
ince of Hadhramaut. In this neighborhood is a " moon-mountain," and also 
a " moon-coast." (See Hazarmaveth.) To precisely determine the locality 
requires a more accurate knowledge of Arabia than we now possess. 

Jerah meelites, from Jerahmeel, on whom God has mercy. A tribe or 
clan descended from Jerahmeel, 1 Sam. xxvii, 10; xxx, 29. They inhabited 
the southern border of Judah. 

Jer'echus, 1 Esdr. v, 22. The Greek form of Jericho. 
Jer'icho, (Map 5,) city of the moon, or place of fragrance. Called also the 
" City of Palm-trees," Deut. xxxiv, 3 ; 2 Chron. xxviii, 15 ; and Jerechus, 
1 Esdr. v, 22. 

Situation. Jericho was the largest city in the valley of the Jordan. It 
lay about twenty miles north-east from Jerusalem, on the west side of the 
river Jordan, and north of its entrance into the Dead Sea. Between this 
city and Jerusalem was a fearful wilderness, which is still the haunt of rob- 
bers. The city stood upon a plain, whose fertility (as of an oasis in the 
desert) may be attributed to the fountain of Elisha referred to in 2 Kings 
ii, 19-22. Very near the city, on the west, is Mount Quarantania, a high 
desolate hill in the wilderness, with which tradition connects the fasting and 

the temptation of Christ, and from whose top 
Satan showed the Saviour " all the kingdoms 
of the world, and the glory of them." The 
peculiar situation of Jericho in the valley of 
the Jordan, and on the great commercial 
thoroughfare from Damascus or Assyria to 
Arabia or Egypt, made it the great port of 
entry and the chief city of ancient Canaan. 

Bible Allusions. The city is first men- 
tioned in the Old Testament, Num. xxii, 1; 
xxvi, 3, in defining the position of the Israel- 
ites, who, when encamped in the plains of 
Moab, were over against it. A strongly for- 
tified place, with thick walls, Josh, ii, 15. 
Had much treasure, Josh, vi, 24; vii, 21. Its territory of considerable 
extent, Josh, iv, 19. It was one of the oldest cities of Palestine, and a royal 
residence before it was taken by the Israelites, Josh, ii, 2, 3; viii, 2; 
x, 1. 28. 

Bible Events. Jericho was the first town of Canaan attacked by the 
Israelites after their forty years' wandering. The history of its siege 
and capture is very remarkable. Two spies were sent to the city, and re- 
ceived by Rahab, Josh, ii; Ileb. xi, 31. It was near Jericho that Joshua 
saw the " Captain of the Lord's host," Josh, v, 13-15. After being besieged 
and encompassed seven days its walls miraculously fell, and the city was 
utterly destroyed, Josh, iii, 16; iv, 12; vi, 1; xxiv, 11. Rahab and family 




gr^tsethany 
Jerusalem 



192 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

alone were spared, Josh, ii, 14; vi, 25. Joshua pronounced a curse upon 
any who should attempt to rebuild it, vi, 26. The site was assigned to 
Benjamin, xvi, 7 ; xviii, 21, and was the boundary of Ephraim, xvi, 1. Soon 
after it was occupied by Israelites, Judges iii, 13. Compare 2 Sam. x, 5 ; 
1 Chron. xix, 5. But it was not fortified, and perhaps the curse of Joshua 
had reference merely to its being refortified. The Kenites dwelt there, 
Judges i, 16; compare iv, 11. In Judges iii, 13, we find this "City of Palm 
Trees " "possessed" by Eglon, king of Moab. Thither David sent his em- 
bassadors, 2 Sam. x, 5. Hiel, the Bethelite, was signally punished for an 
attempt to restore it, 1 Kings xvi, 34. Here Elijah spent his last days, and 
here was a school of prophets, 2 Kings ii, 4, 5, 15. Elisha miraculously 
healed its waters, 2 Kings ii, 19-22. To "the plains of Jericho " the Chal- 
deans took King Zedekiah, 2 Kings xxv, 4; Jer. xxxix, 5. After the exile 
tne inhabitants returned thither, Ezra iii, 34 ; Neh. vii, 36, and the men of 
Jericho helped them to build the walls of Jerusalem, Neh. iii. 2. Subse- 
quently the Syrian, Bacchides, fortified the city, 1 Mace, ix, 50, over which 
was placed one Ptolemeus, who had abundance of silver and gold. After- 
ward it was enlarged and adorned by Herod the Great, and also by Arche- 
laus. In the time of Christ Jericho was wealthy and flourishing, which 
may be inferred from the fact that a chief and rich publican or tax-gatherer 
was there stationed, Luke xix, 2. Christ tarried with this publican, and 
brought salvation to his house, Luke xix, 5, 9. Near this city Jesus healed 
two or three blind men, Matt, xx, 29-34; Mark x, 46-52 ; Luke xviii, 35-43. 
It was on the fearful road between Jericho and Jerusalem that Christ laid 
the scene of the beautiful parable of the good Samaritan, Luke x, 30-37. 
Under Roman authority Jericho was the chief city of a toparchy, and was 
visited by Vespasian. When Titus besieged Jerusalem it is said that he 
also overthrew Jericho, and that it was afterward rebuilt. 

Present Condition. Although Josephus gives a glowing account of the 
region of Jericho, calling it an earthly paradise, modern travelers find nothing 
but wretchedness and ruin. The present inhabitants pay no attention to the 
fertile soil. The fountain of Elisha, now called Ain es- Sultan, still sends forth 
its " beautifully transparent, sweet and cool waters," only to make the site of 
ancient Jericho seem more thoroughly desolate. The palm-trees have dis- 
appeared ; the plain is intensely hot ; and instead of the mighty city, there 
stands on this once lovely plain only a little mean, filthy village of about 
forty huts, called Riha or Eriha, with two hundred inhabitants. North of 
the village is a castle or tower, about thirty feet square and forty feet high, 
almost in ruins, which tradition calls the house of Zaccheus. Robinson 
supposes it was built in the twelfth century. Remnants of water-courses, 
and traces near the village, indicate the site of ancient Jericho. The loca- 
tion of the earlier city, and that rebuilt by Herod, or during the Byzantine 
\ eriod, cannot be ascertained without further researches. 

Jer'uel, or Jeru'el, founded of God. The scene of the discomfiture of 
the Ammonites, Moabites, and other Arab tribes who invaded Judea in the 
reign of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx, 16. It was probably between Eugedi 
and Tekoa, and distant by a short march from Berachah, now Bereikut. 

Jesru'salem, (Maps 5-11,) foundation or habitation of peace, the Jewish 
capital of Palestine. 

I. Names. This renowned city is mentioned in Scripture under the fol- 
lowing names: Salem, ("peace,") Gen. xiv, 18; Jehovah-Jireh, ("the Lord 




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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 195 

will provide,") Gen. xxn, 14; Jebus, or Jebusi, ("the city of the Jebusite,") 
Josh, xviii, 28 ; Judg. xix, 10 ; 2 Sam. v, 6 ; Jerusalem, 2 Sam. v, 5 ; [The 
use of the name Jerusalem in Josh, x, 1, was probably in anticipation of the 
name which it afterward received ;] Zion, 1 Kings viii, 1 ; City of David, 
Psa, xlvi, 4; Ariel, Isa, xxix, 1 ; City of God, Psa. xlvi, 4; City of the Great 
King, Psa. xlviii, 2 ; City of Judah, 2 Chron. xxv, 28 ; Holy City, Neh, 
xi, 1-18; City of Solemnities, Isa. xxxiii, 20. In Gal. iv, 25, 26, and in Hab 
xii, 22, Jerusalem is used symbolically. "New Jerusalem," Rev. iii, 12; 
xxi, 2. 

In the Vulgate the city is called Hierosolyma. The Greek historian 
Herodotus styles it Kadytis. After it was rebuilt by the Roman Emperoi 
Hadrian he called it JElia, Capitolina, from his own name Publius ^Elius, 
and that of Jupiter Capitolinus. By the Arabs, Turks, Persians, and other 
Mussulmans, the place is known as el-Khuds, ("the Holy,") or Beit-el- Makhud- 
dis, ("the Holy House," or "House of the Sanctuary.") 

Prophecy declares that the Holy City shall receive " a new name." " Thou 
shalt be called Hephzibah . . . for the Lord delighteth in thee . . . and thou 
shalt be called Sought Out, a city not forsaken," Isa. lxii, 2, 4, 12. "Under 
the general name of Jerusalem the Holy City has now occupied a prominent 
position on the page of history for nearly thirty-eight long centuries, which 
shows it to be at least one thousand one hundred and sixty -eight years older 
than Rome, the self-yclept ' Eternal City,' and ' mistress of the world.' If 
any city on earth deserves the appeUation of 'eternal,' it is Jerusalem. It 
shall become ' an eternal excellency.' God has chosen it as his dwelling- 
place forever." — City of the Great King, p. 45. 

II. Situation. Jerusalem is situated on the central chain of limestone 
mountains runuing north and south through Palestine. Its latitude is that 
of the northern end of the Dead Sea. It is distant from the Dead Sea and 
Jordan Yalley fifteen miles, and from the Mediterranean thirty-one miles. 

(The topography of the site will be given below.) 

HI. Bible Allusions. "The name Jerusalem is used eight hundred and 
eighteen times in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments." — Osborn. 

Situation and Appearance. Psa. cxxii, 3 ; Psa. cxxv, 2 ; Sol. Song vi, 4 ; 
Micah iv, 8. 

Gates. These were very numerous in the ancient city. The following 
list of allusions to them is taken from Smith's Dictionary : 

(1.) Gate of Ephraim, 2 Chron. xxv, 23; Neh. viii, 16; xii, 39. This is 
probably the same as the (2.) Gate of Benjamin, Jer. xx, 2; xxxvii, 13; 
Zech. xiv, 10. If so, it was four hundred cubits distant from the (3.) Corner 
Gate, 2 Chron. xxv, 23 ; xxvi, 9 ; Jer. xxxi, 38 ; Zech. xiv, 10. (4.) Gate of 
Joshua, governor of the city, 2 Kings xxiii, 8. (5.) Gate between the two 
walls, 2 Kings xxv, 4; Jer. xxxix, 4. (6.) Horse Gate, Neh. iii, 38 ; 2 Chron. 
xxiii, 15 ; Jer. xxxi, 40. (7.) Ravine Gate, (that is, opening on ravine of 
Hinnom,) 2 Chron. xxvi, 9; Neh. ii, 13, 15; iii, 13. (8.) Eish Gate, 1 Chron. 
xxxiii, 14; Neh. iii, 1; Zeph. i, 16. (9.) Dung Gate, Neh. ii, 13; iii, 13. 
(10.) Sheep Gate, Neh. iii, 1, 32; xii, 39. (11.) East Gate, Neh. hi, 29. 
(12.) Miphkad, Neh. iii, 31. (13.) Fountain Gate, (SiloamY) Neh. xii, 37. 
(14.) Water Gate, Neh. xii, 37. (15.) Old Gate, Neh. xii, 39. (16.) Prison 
Gate, Neh. xii, 39. (17.) Gate Harsith, (perhaps the sun; A. V. East Gate,^ 
Jer. xix, 2. (18.) First Gate, Zech. xiv, 10. (The two following are from 
Jofi^phus :) (19.) Gate Geimath, (Gardens.) (20.) Essenes 1 Gato. 

10 



198 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

To these should be added the following gates of the temple : Gate Sur, 
2 Kings xi, 6, called also Gate of Foundation, 2 Chron. xxiii, 5. Gate of the 
Guard, or behind the Guard, 2 Kings xi, 6, 19. Called the High Gate, 
2 Chron. xxiii, 20 ; xxvii, 3 ; 2 Kings xv, 35. Gate Shallecheth, 1 Chron. 
xx vi, 16. 

Streets. East-street, 2 Chron. xxix, 4. Street of the house of God, Ezra 
x, 9. Street before the water gate, Neh. viii, 1. Street of the gate of 
Ephraim, Neh. viii, 16. Bakers'-street, Jer. xxxvii, 21. 

Buildings. High-priest's palace, John xviii, 15. Castle, Acts xxi, 34. 
Stairs, Neh. iii, 15. Temple, 1 Kings v-vii; ix, 8; 2 Kings xii, 4; 2 Chron. 
ii-iv; xxiv, 4; Jer. Iii, 12; Ezra i, iii-vi; Ezek. xl, xliii; Hag. ii, 9; Matt. 
xxi, 12, 13; Mark xii, 41-44; Luke xxi, 5, 6; John ii, 13-17 ; Acts iii, 2, 
11, etc. Gabbatha, John xix, 13. See Pretorium. 

Towers. See Hananeel, Meah, Millo, Ophel, Siloam. 

Places in and around Christ's Sepulcher, John xix, 41. Gareb, Jer. 
xxxi, 39. See Aceldama, Calvary, Gethsemane, Hinnom, Yalley op 
Jehoshaphat, Maktesh, Moriah, Olives, Mount of, Tophet. 

Pools, Fountains, and Brooks. See Bethesda, En-Rogel, Gihon, 
Kedron, Siloam. 

IY. Bible Events. Jerusalem is first brought to our notice under tbe 
name of Salem, when its king, Melchizedek, "brought forth bread and wine " 
fur Abram, after the return of the latter " from the slaughter of Chedorlao- 
mer," Gen. xiv, 18. A little later, when Abraham was about to offer up his 
son Isaac on the eastern portion of the site of the city, [see Moriah,] God 
provided another sacrifice, and the patriarch " caUed the name of that place 
Jehovah-Jireh," Gen. xxii, 14. 

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan into Canaan they found the city 
and adjacent country in possession of a people called Jebusites, whence the 
name by which the city was then known, Jebus, or Jebusi, Josh, xviii, 28; 
Judg. xix, 10 ; comp. Ezek. xvi, 3. Jebusi is then mentioned as just upon 
the frontier line of Judah and Benjamin, but being itself actually within the 
Benjamite border, Josh, xv, 8; xviii, 16, 28. 

The position of Jerusalem was such as to make it a place of leading im- 
portance at the time of the invasion of the land of Joshua. Hence we find 
its "king," Adonizedek, summoning four neighboring chieftains to assist him 
in the punishment of Gibeon for having made peace with Israel. Then 
occurred the famous battle, during which the sun stood still upon Gibeon, 
and the moon in the Yalley of Ajalon, Josh. x. Although in this battle the 
five kings were slain, and their armies " consumed " " with a very great 
slaughter," yet so strong was the city of the Jebusites that these people 
retained possession of the citadel, or stronghold of Zion, for a long period. 
We are told in Joshua (xv, 63) that the children of Judah could not, and in 
Judges, (i, 21,) after an account of the taking and burning of Jerusalem by 
the children of Judah, that the children of Benjamin did not drive out the 
Jebusites; and it is added in the former verse, "but the Jebusites dwell 
with the children of Judah," and in the latter, " but the Jebusites dwell 
with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day." 

This stronghold was retained by the Jebusites for several hundred years, 
during the whole of the troubled times of the Judges and the early days of 
the kingdom of Israel. Thus we do not hear of Jerusalem again until the 
time of David. When David had finally triumphed over-the house of Saul, 




FRONT VIEW. 




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WEST EN]). 




interior. 

Solomon's temple according to paink. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



197 



and had become firmly established on the throne of all Israel, as well as 
Judah, (B. C. 1048,) in Hebron, which had been the chief city of the tribe 
of Judah ever since its first ineffectual attempt on the citadel of Zion, one 
of his first expeditions was against this fortress of Jebusi. 

The Jebusites were exceedingly confident of their ability to withstand 
King David. Deriding his efforts, they either placed literally the weakest 
of their population upon their ramparts, or they set there in array the im- 
ages of their gods, and then from the walls the inhabitants insultingly 
shouted to the Hebrew armies, " Except thou take away the blind and the 
lame thou shalt not come in hither," 2 Sam. y, 6. Taunted thus, with their 
indignation fully aroused, and divinely assisted, the warriors of Israel " took 
the stronghold of Zion: the same is the city of David," 2 Sam. v, 7 ; comp 

1 Chron. xi, 4-9. 

Jerusalem now became the capital of the united kingdoms of Israel and 
Judah, and Zion was made the site of the royal residence. Eor the erection 
of the king's palace " Hiram, King of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and 
cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons," 2 Sam. v, 11. The achievements 
of the Hebrew king produced a profound impression upon the neighboring 
powers. The Philistines "came up to seek David," "and spread them- 
selves in the Yalley of Rephaim," but were repulsed. Coming again to the 
same valley, David smote them " from Geba until thou come to Gazer," 

2 Sam. v, 17-25 ; 1 Chron. xiv, 8-17. 

Jerusalem was designed to be not only the civil capital of the kingdom, 
but also the spiritual center to which the tribes should yearly go up to the 
worship of the Lord. Hence David resolved to bring up to Jerusalem the 
ark of the covenant from Kirjath-Jearim, where it had remained ever since 
the high-priesthood of Eli. The progress of the ark was arrested by a fear- 
ful catastrophe ; but after a short delay it was " brought into the city of 
David with gladness," and placed " in the midst of the tabernacle that David 
had pitched for it" on Mount Zion, 2 Sam. vi, 2-17. 

In the midst of the splendor and prosperity of his reign David was moved 
to make a census of the people of Israel and Judah. This he did either for 
the purpose of taxation, or to ascertain the number of fighting men whom he 
could summon for war. The divine displeasure being incurred by this act, 
God sent a pestilence of three days' continuance, and " there died of the 
people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. David himself 
saw the destroying angel standing over Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, near 
the thrashing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. According to Jewish tradi- 
tion this was the same place where Abraham had stood ready to slay his 
son when the Lord provided a sacrifice. David bought this thrashing-floor, 
and upon it erected an altar unto the Lord and offered sacrifices, humbly con- 
fessing his sinfulness. This spot, rendered thus memorable, was selected by 
God as the site of that wondrous temple, for the building of which King 
David spent the remainder of his life in accumulating the materials, 2 Sam. 
xxiv; 1 Chron. xxi; xxii, 2-4, 14-16; xxviii, 11-18; xxix, 2-9. 

David was succeeded by his son Solomon, B. C. 1015. The magnificent 
temple which Solomon erected occupied seven years and a half in building, 
being completed and dedicated B. C. 1004, 1 Kings vi-viii. "With most im- 
posing ceremonies the ark of the Lord was brought from Zion and placed in 
the temple beneath the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. The 
tabernacle also, and all its sacred vessels, were conveyed thither from 



198 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Gibeon, and probably deposited as sacred memorials within the temple walls, 
1 Kings viii, 4 ; 2 Cliron. v, 5. 

Having finished the temple, Solomon turned his attention to the enlarge- 
ment of his kingdom and power. He surrounded Jerusalem with strong 
walls and towers, and filled it with magnificent structures. There was his 
own palace, which must have been of vast size to accommodate the many 
women of his harem ; there was also the immense establishment for his 
chariots and horses ; the palace which he built for Pharaoh's daughter; and 
the palace of the forest of Lebanon ; together with the costly aqueduct by 
which the city was supplied with water, 1 Kings vii, 1, 2, 8; iv, 26; x, 26. 
Solomon also built other cities in different parts of his d( minions, 1 Kings 
ix, 17-19. He formed alliances with powerful princes, and carried on a 
lucrative commerce with Egypt by land, with eastern Africa and India by 
the Red Sea, and with Spain and western Africa by the Mediterranean, 
1 Kings ix, 26-28; x, 22, 28; 2 Chron. ix, 21, 23, 28. By his wealth and 
influence and the prestige of his power he extended the range of his domin- 
ion from the Euphrates to the Mle, 1 Kings iv, 21; 2 Chron. ix, 26. The 
wealth that thus flowed into this magnificent city was vast indeed. Gold 
was exceedingly abundant, and " the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as 
stones," 1 Kings x, 27 ; 2 Chron. ix, 27. 

" But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daugh- 
ter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, 
and Hittites." "He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hun- 
dred concubines ; and his wives turned away his heart." 1 Kings xi, 1, 3. 

Hence we find this wonderful man, who in his youth received so many 
testimonies of God's favor, at last in his old age building heathen temples 
for Ashteroth, Chemosh, and Milcom on the right hand (that is, the south 
side) of the Mount of Corruption, east of Jerusalem, 1 Kings xi, 7 ; 2 Kings 
xxiii, 13. The worship of Moloch was also established in the Valley of Hin- 
nom, south of the city, 2 Kings xxiii, 10. These temples of dishonor long 
continued to give a character of unholiness to the sacred city. 

Eor the very heinous sins of Solomon God visited him with sore punish- 
ments. He was succeeded by his son Rehoboam, through whose weakness 
and folly the kingdoms of Judah and Israel were separated by the revolt of 
the ten tribes, 1 Kings xii. 

In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign Jerusalem was besieged by Shishak, 
King of Egypt, and plundered of all its treasures, 1 Kings xiv, 25-28. 

In the reign of Asa much was done toward banishing idolatry from Jeru- 
salem. Asa repelled an Ethiopian host which invaded his kingdom, and 
enriched himself with its spoils, devoting much of the same to the service of 
the temple, 1 Kings xv, 9-15; 2 Chron. xiv, 9-15. But he employed these 
same treasures in purchasing the aid of the King of Syria against Baa e ha, 
King of Israel, 1 Kings xv, 16-19. Asa's son, Jehoshaphat, was an upright 
and powerful monarch. His reign gave to Jerusalem great influence over 
the surrounding nations. He took away the " high places and groves " from 
Judah, 2 Chron. xvii, 1-6. But unfortunately he made an allianco with 
Ahab and Ahaziah, the wicked kings of Israel, and married his son Joram 
to Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, 2 Chron. xviii, 1 ; 2 Kings viii, 25, 26. The 
evil results of this marriage pervaded the three following reigns of Joram, 
Ahaziah, his son by Athaliah, and Athaliah herself. During Joram's reign 
Jerusalem was plundered by the Philistines and Arabians, 2 Chron. xxi, 16, 17. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 199 

Athaliah made her way to the throne by the destruction of all the princes 
Of the house of Judah, except the iufant Joash, her own grandchild, who 
was snatched out of her hands, and educated in the temple till he was seven 
years old. She and her sons partially destroyed the temple, and took from 
it the holy things, which they dedicated to the service of Baal. The wicked 
queen was put to death by the high-priest Jehoiada, guardian of young 
Joash, B. C. 878, 2 Chron. xxi-xxiii. 

While Jehoiada lived Jerusalem was free from idolatry, but on his death 
the weak prince Joash put to death Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, on account 
of his testimony against idolatry. 

Hazael was hindered from invading Jerusalem by the gift of the treasures 
from the temple at the hands of Joash, 2 Chron. xxiv. 

During the reign of Amaziah, who succeeded Joash, the King of Israel 
defeated and took prisoner the King of Judah, breaking down four hundred 
cubits of the wall of Jerusalem, and plundering the temple, 2 Kings xiv, 
11-14; 2 Chron. xxv, 21-24. 

The break was repaired by the next king, Uzziah, who also erected tow- 
ers and strengthened generally the fortifications, furnishing engines for 
throwing great stones and arrows, 2 Chron. xxvi, 9-15. During this reign 
occurred three fearful judgments — an earthquake, a plague of locusts, cater- 
pillars, and canker-worms, and an extreme drought. 

Jotham built a gate to the temple, repaired the walls, and added to their 
strength, 2 Kings xv, 35 ; 2 Chron. xxvii, 3. 

Ahaz, the son and successor of Jotham, was an idolater. By trying to 
gain the aid of the Assyrians against Israel and Syria he gave the former a 
tooting in Jerusalem, 2 Kings xvi, 2-18. 

Hezekiah succeeded Ahaz. Under his godly reign Jerusalem was ex- 
ceedingly prosperous. Every trace of idolatry was destroyed. The temple 
and its sacred worship were fully restored, 2 Kings xviii, 1-8. But again 
the holy city was threatened by heathen foes. Assyria, now at the height 
of her glory, having already possessed Samaria, and carried away the ten 
tribes of Israel into captivity, now sought to subjugate Egypt. On his 
triumphal march toward Egypt, Sennacherib, the Assyrian monarch, 
stopped to re-assert his supremacy over Jerusalem. Hezekiah, who had 
already rebelled against his authority, alarmed at this new demand, stripped 
the temple of its treasures, and sent them to avert, if possible, the wrath of 
Sennacherib ; but, so far from being appeased, this monarch sent Kabshakeh 
to threaten the city with destruction unless the people should be willing to 
fully submit to his demands, 2 Kings xviii, 9-37. 

It was at this time that Hezekiah took care to divert the water-courses, 
by the construction of his famous works for drawing the waters of the 
Gihon from their source into the city, to supply the people, and to distress 
the enemy in case of a siege. (See Gihon.) He strengthened the ramparts, 
and built additional towers and a new wall ; he also constructed 
works in the citadel, and provided abundance of weapons, 2 Kings xx, 20 ; 
2 Chron. xxxii, 4-30; Isa. xxii, 9-11. Through the prophet Isaiah divine 
aid was promised to the king and people of Jerusalem, and while the op- 
posing host lay encamped on the west of the city, il it came to pass that 
night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the 
Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand," 2 Kings xix, 35. 
Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, in the early part of his reign filled Jeru- 



200 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

salem with idols and their shrines. He was carried captive to Babylon by 
the Assyrians, where he remained for twelve years. On his return, how- 
ever, having repented of his sins, he endeavored to restore the true worship 
of God, and greatly strengthened the fortifications of the city, 2 Chron. 
xxxiii, 1-16. The ungodly Amon next reigned for two years. 

Josiah, one of the best of Judah's kings, succeeded to the throne. He 
male a thorough reformation in the kingdom, and before he was eighteen 
he had completely destroyed the idols and places of idolatrous worship 
throughout all the land of Israel, as well as of Judah. The high-priest, 
Hilkiah, having discovered the books of the law, Josiah ordered the strict 
observance of the passover, after a neglect of centuries, 2 Kings xxii, xxiii. 
At this time mighty struggles were agitating the thrones of the East. 
Nineveh was besieged by the Medes and Babylonians. Necho, the Egyp- 
tian Pharaoh, taking advantage of Assyria's distress, made an attempt 
against Carchemish, one of its important posts on the Euphrates. As 
Necho was advancing from the sea-coast, through the valley of Esdraelon, 
Josiah met him at Megiddo, and there received a fatal wound. He was, 
however, carried to die at Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xxxv, 20-24. One of his 
three sons, Jehoahaz, was elected king by the people. Necho, on returning 
from the capture of Carchemish, (B. C. 608,) deposed the new king, and 
carried him captive into Egypt, leaving upon the throne his elder brother 
Eliakim, whose name the conqueror changed to Jehoiakim, (whom Jehovah 
sets up,) 2 Chron. xxxvi, 1-4. 

" The next visit paid to Jerusalem was that of Nebuchadnezzar. It is 
doubtful at what time, but probably after the victory which he in his turn 
obtained over Pharaoh-Necho at Carchemish (B. C. 605) in the fourth year 
of Jehoiakim. He obliged Jehoiakim to acknowledge himself his subject, 
and took some treasure and captives to Babylon — among the rest Daniel and 
the 'three Hebrew children.' But Jehoiakim rebelling three years after- 
ward, Jerusalem was beset by the tributaries of Nebuchadnezzar, who car- 
ried on a harassing warfare against it until his death, in the eleventh year 
Df his reign. His son Jehoiachin succeeded him, and Jerusalem being now 
besieged by Nebuchadnezzar in person, he came out with his mother, serv- 
ants, princes, and officers, and delivered himself into his hands. Then it 
was that Nebuchadnezzar took possession of all the treasures of the king's 
house and of the temple, and carried away from Jerusalem all the princes 
and chief men, as well as all the ingenious craftsmen and artificers, and all 
that were strong and apt for war, leaving only the poorest of the people ; 
and over these he set an uncle of Jehoiachin, to whom he gave the name 
of Zedekiah, and 'made him swear by God ' that he would remain his sub- 
ject, Ezek. xvii, 14. This oath Zedekiah (2 Chron. xxxvi, 13) broke, trust- 
ing in the help of Pharaoh Hophra, King of Egypt, and thereby Dot only 
provoked the vengeance of Nebuchadnezzar, but incurred the anger of God. 
Nebuchadnezzar invested Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month, 
(B. C. 588,) in the ninth year of Zedekiah. Engines of war raised on 
heights about the walls hurled weighty missiles into the city, the walls 
were battered with rams, and famine and pestilence prevailed within them. 
There was a temporal lull in the siege, during which the Chaldean army 
went to meet the Egyptians, who were coming to the relief of Jerusalem ; 
but the Egyptians turned back without an encounter, and the siege was 
resumed. The wall was broken m the ninth day of the fourth month of 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 201 

tho second year of the siege, and Zedekiah secretly took flight, passing over 
the Mount of Olives toward the Jordan ; but he was taken near Jericho, and 
conveyed to Riblah in Coele-Syria, in the extreme north of Palestine, where 
.Nebuchadnezzar was watching from afar the siege of Tyre. There his two 
sons were slain before his eyes, and he was deprived of sight and carried to 
Babylon. There also were slain Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, 
the second priest, three door-keepers of the temple, five officers of the court, 
two of the army, and sixty persons of note who were found in Jerusalem. 
The rest of the people, with the remaining treasure of the temple — some of 
it broken in pieces for facility of removal, including the great brazen sea and 
the two pillars Jachin and Boaz — were carried away. This was the third 
great deportation of captives from Jerusalem to Babylon. It was effected 
by Nebuchadnezzar about a month after the siege. He completed his work 
by burning the temple and the city, and razing the walls to the ground. 
From this time the land ' enjoyed her Sabbaths ' till the end of the seventy 
years." — Kitto. 2 Kings xxv, 1-10; 2 Chron. xxxvi, 11-19; Jer. xxxii, 24; 
xxxviii; xxxix, 1-8; Hi, 1-15, 28-30. Besides the vast numbers that were 
thus carried away to Babylon, many others went into Egypt. Jer. xliii, 4-7. 

With such a history before us, how forcible are the sad words of the tear- 
ful prophet as he beholds the desolations of Jerusalem: "How doth the 
city sit solitary, that was full of people ! how is she become as a widow 1 
she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, 
how is she become tributary ! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears 
are on her cheeks . . . she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no 
rest . . . and from the daughter of Zion ah her beauty is departed . . . Zion 
spreadeth forth her hands and there is none to comfort her," Lam. i, 1, 3, 6. 

" It was not till Babylon had been itself humbled and taken by Cyrus 
that Jerusalem revived. The Persian conqueror gave leave (536 B. C.) for 
the Jews to return to their own country. A large caravan accordingly pro- 
ceeded to Judea under Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, and on the 
first day of the seventh month they set up, in a solemn assembly at Jeru- 
salem, the altar of burnt-offering. And in the second year after their return, 
on the first of the second month, they laid the foundation of a new temple. 
It was a day of gladness and yet of bitter sorrow — of glad hope that the 
presence of the Lord might again be there, of grief when the old men among 
them, who remembered Solomon's glorious structure, surveyed the ruins 
around, and thought how little their feeble means could do to raise a temple 
like the one destroyed, Ezra iii. And soon there was the busy malice of 
adversaries at work ; and it was not till the reign of Darius Hystaspis that 
ths building was effectuaUy carried on, nor till the twenty-first year after the 
decree of Cyrus that the new house was dedicated, Ezra vi. All the while, 
and for much longer, Jerusalem lay without walls and gates, till about 
446 B. C, Nehemiah, the cup-bearer of Artaxerxes Longimanus, obtained 
leave to go to the city of his fathers. Sad was the spectacle as he viewed 
it — the ramparts broken down, and the marks of fire yet upon the gates. 
Neh. ii. By his exertions, however, under the king's commission, in spite 
of opposition, the waUs were rebuilt, and there was a solemn day of rejoicing 
after the completion of the work, Neh. iii; iv; vi; xii, 27-43. Still there 
were kept many vacant spaces in the city, and the population was small ; it 
was agreed, therefore, that one tenth part of the whole people should dwell in 
the capital, (vii, 4; xi, 1, 2.) Thus was the holy city re-estabhshed." — Ayro. 



202 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Here the Old Testament record leaves us. About 320 B. C. Ptolemy 
Soter, KLing of Egypt, made an incursion into Syria and took Jerusalem. 
Multitudes of the Jews were afterward carried captive to Egypt and northern 
Africa. In 301 B. C. Jerusalem was secured to the Ptolemies, by the de- 
feat of Antigonus at Ipsus, and they retained possession of the city for more 
than one hundred years. Under the high priest Simon the Just, about 
300 B. C, the temple was adorned, the foundations were extended and 
deepened, and the walls of the city strengthened. During the sway of the 
Ptolemies the Holy City enjoyed great prosperity. Yet from time to time 
serious calamities occurred. At length the Egyptian king Ptolemy Philo- 
pator entered Jerusalem, B. C. 221. He made a sacrifice in the Temple 
Court, and would have entered the Holy Place but for the earnest opposi- 
tion of the high priest. 

Jerusalem was wrested from the kings of Egypt by Antiochus the Great, 
King of Syria, B. C. 203. Then it was retaken, four years later, by the 
Alexandrian general, Scopas, but it was very soon re-occupied by Antiochus. 
In 2 Mace, iii, may be found an account of the unsuccessful attempt of 
Heliodorus, who was sent to rob the temple of its treasures. Josephus, 
however, does not mention this incident. Antiochus the Great was suc- 
ceeded by his son, Seleucus Philopator, and the latter by his brother, the 
execrable Antiochus Epiphanes, B. C. 175. This Syrian king used his ut- 
most efforts to introduce into Jerusalem the customs of the Greek cities. 
Various evil practices were thus established, whence ensued party riots 
and fearful massacres. Several times was the temple robbed of its treas- 
ures ; captives were carried off to Antioch ; fires occurred in the city ; the 
worship of God was prohibited, and the temple profaned by idolatrous rites. 
1 Mace, i; 2 Mace, v-vii. 

Finally occurred an insurrection, which was begun at some distance from 
Jerusalem by an aged man of priestly family — the father of five sons. He 
died in the first year of the war thus incited, 166 B.C. His son Judas 
was victorious over the Syrians, and gained the surname of Maccabeus for 
himself and his race. (See Maccabees.) Under the Maccabean princes 
Jerusalem was greatly strengthened, and enjoyed more or less prosperity ; 
but even during a considerable period of their power a Syrian garrison still 
held possession of the citadel of Acra. So strong was this garrison that it 
was not till 142 B. C. that it was forced by famine to capitulate. This was 
the first year of Jewish freedom, the liberty of the nation being established 
under Simon, the high priest. Simon built a very strong tower — the Baris, 
afterward called Antonia, in which with his followers he resided. Under 
his son and successor, John Hyrcanus, another attempt to regain Jerusalem 
was made by Antiochus VII. After the investment of the city, negotiations 
led to an honorable peace. Hyrcanus repaired the walls, which had been 
disma tied, and he ruled in prosperity for many years. He was succeeded 
by his son Aristobulus, 107 B. C. This prince assumed the title of king, 
which was also borne by his successors. He was succeeded by Alexander 
Janna?us, 105 B. C, during whose reign occurred a fierce strife between the 
Pharisees and Sadducees, resulting in the death of more than six thousand 
citizens. Queen Alexandra next held the throne in peaceable possession 
for nine years, from 79 B. C. Hyrcanus II. claimed the crown at her death, 
but yielded it to his brother, Aristobulus, after a few months' possession. 
By the conquest of Syria under the Boman general Pompey, 65 B C, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 205 

Aristobulus became a prisoner, and Hyrcanus was restored. The latter 
received Porapey with open arms. The temple, however, was occupied by 
the friends of Aristobulus, who sustained a severe siege for three months. 
Pompey having captured the temple, was greatly surprised not to find any 
image of a Deity in the Holy of Holies. Leaving the sacred treasures un- 
touched, he demolished the walls of the city, and, imposing a tribute upoD 
the people, he still showed Hyrcanus to govern, not, however, as king, but 
as high-priest. About 47 B. C. Hyrcanus received from Julius Caesar the 
title of ethnarch, while Caesar also made Antipater procurator of Judea, 
and allowed the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. Meanwhile Crassus had 
rifled the temple of its treasures on his way to Parthia, and Gabinius, who 
had been made proconsul of Syria, had established in Jerusalem one of the 
five Sanhedrims, or Senates, by which the country was to be governed. 
Soon Antipater was poisoned by Malichus, and the latter was in turn assas- 
sinated by order of Herod, son of Antipater. This young Herod had been 
made governor of Galilee when his father was made procurator of Judea. 
Antigonus, the only surviving son of Aristobulus, now claimed the throne, 
and, with the aid of a Parthian army just then invading Syria, forced Herod 
f,o fly, and made himself king, B. C. 40. 

Herod, having obtained from the Roman Senate a decree appointing him 
King of Judea, appeared with an army before Jerusalem, and after a pro- 
tracted siege captured the temple and the city. He put to death all the 
chief of the Maccabean party, including the whole Sanhedrim, except the 
eminent Hebrew doctors, Hillel and Shammai. About B. C. 31 a fearful 
earthquake destroyed ten or twenty thousand persons, and a great part of 
Jerusalem. Herod proceeded soon to rebuild and beautify the city. He 
erected a theater ; he enlarged and strengthened the Baris, naming it An- 
tonia, after Anthony. He also built a new palace, and, after two years' 
preparation, laid the foundation of his magnificent temple, the principal 
buildings of which were completed B. C. 9. He also erected towers of 
immense strength and size. 

It was " in the days of Herod the king " that Jesus was born, Matt, ii, 1 ; 
but Herod lived but a few months after the Saviour's birth. It was proba- 
bly on his death-bed that this wicked king ordered the murder of the infants, 
Matt, ii, 16-18. Archelaus succeeded Herod, Matt, ii, 22. Judea now be- 
came a Roman province under the governor of Syria, and was administered 
by a procurator or lieutenant-governor of its own. The procurator resided 
at Caesarea, leaving the affairs of Jerusalem to be managed by the high- 
priest and Sanhedrim. 

Jesus was very often in Jerusalem, and its people were witnesses of his 
wonderful words. We can only refer to some of these, together with bin 
discourses in the streets of the city. He went up to the feasts, John v, 1 ; 
vii, 1-14. His triumphal entry is recorded in Matt, xxi, 1-11. He wept 
over the city, Luke xiii, 34. The miracles of Christ, John ii, 23 ; iii, 2 ; 
iv, 25 ; v, 1-9 ; ix. His discourses, Matt, xxi-xxv ; John v, 10-47 ; 
vii, 14-23; vhi-x; xii-xvii. 

At the time of Christ's trial and crucifixion Pontius Pilate was procurator 
of Judea, Matt, xxvii. He was removed from office, A. D. 36, on account of 
his tyrannical conduct. Herod Agrippa, (grandson of Herod the Great.) 
who had already received from the Emperor several of the Syrian tetrarchies, 
succeeded to the entire kingdom of his grandfather, A. D. 41, and ho often 



206 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

resided at Jerusalem. After the death of Christ Jerusalem continued to be 
the scene of many interesting events connected with the history of the early 
Church. These events can only be referred to. 

At Jerusalem the Gospel was first proclaimed, Luke xxiv, 47 ; Acts ii, 14. 
Here the disciples were commanded to remain till the descent of the Holy 
Ghost, Acts i, 4. Here they met to pray, Acts i, 12-14. Here Matthias 
was elected as an apostle, Acts i, 15-26. Here occurred the descent of the 
Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, with its wondrous results, Acts ii.1-47. 
Miracle of Peter and John ; Peter's discourse, Acts iii. Peter and John im- 
prisoned and released ; thanksgiving of the Church, Acts iv, 1-30. Disciples 
rilled with the Holy Ghost, Acts iv, 31. They sold their property and had 
all tilings in common, Acts ii, 44, 45; iv, 32-37. The falsehood of Ananias 
and Sapphira, and their death, Acts v, 1-11. Miracles of the apostles; 
increase of the Church, Acts v, 12-16. Apostles imprisoned; delivered by 
.an angel; brought before the council ; Gamaliel's address; their preaching, 
Acts v, 17-42. Increase of the Church; disputes between Grecians and 
Hebrews ; disciples appointed to distribute the funds, Acts vi, 1-7. 

Stephen's disputes in the synagogue; accusation before the council; 
defense and death, Acts vi, 8-15 ; vii. Persecution by Saul ; dispersion of 
disciples, who preach to the Jews of Phenice, Antioch, and Cyprus, Acts 
viii, 1-5; xi, 19-21. The apostles remain in Jerusalem; Jewish Christians 
blame Peter for his intercourse with Gentiles; his defense, Acts viii; xiv; 
xi, 1-18. 

Persecution by Herod ; James killed; Peter delivered in answer to the 
prayers of the Church: progress of the Gospel, Acts xii, 1-17, 24. Collec- 
tions for the poor saints in Jerusalem made by Gentile Churches, Acts xi, 
29, 30; Rom. xv, 25, 26; 1 Cor. xvi, 1-3. Decree of Council in reference to 
circumcision, etc., Acts xv, 1-29. 

Paul was here taught by Gamaliel, Acts xxii, 3. Paul's visits to Jerusalem, 
Acts ix, 26-28; xi, 29, 30; xv, 2-6; Gal. ii, 1-7. A great tumult, and 
Paul taken to Csesarea, Acts xxi-xxiii. 

Herod Agrippa, whose accession to power (A. D. 41) has been already 
noticed, added greatly to the outward magnificence of Jerusalem. But an 
evil fame attends him for his treatment of the Christians. In the midst of 
his infamous career he was stopped by Divine interposition. His fearful 
death, which occurred A. D. 44, is recorded in Acts xii. 

Herod's son being too young to govern in such troublous times, Cuspius 
Padus was made procurator of Judea, while upon Herod, King of Chalcis, 
was conferred the right of appointing the high-priest, and the superintend- 
ence of the temple. About A. D. 46 Tiberius Alexander became procura- 
tor, and in A. D. 48 he was followed by Ventidius Cumanus. In this last 
narked year Herod, King of Chalcis, died, and a year or two later the younger 
Agrippa succeeded to his office and title, Acts xxv, 13. Cumanus, being 
unable or unwilling to check the disturbances which had been growing in 
Jerusalem for some time, was removed from power, A. D. 52, and Felix was 
appointed h's successor. Felix aggravated rather than repressed these 
disorders, and he was superseded by Porcius Festus, A. D. 60. Festus died 
in 61 or 62, and Albinus was appointed his successor. The latter on arriv- 
ing in Jerusalem found the city in fearfid disorder by reason of quarrels 
among the priesthood, each leader of the same having his party of banditti 
at command. Albinus was soon superseded by Gessius Florus, whose 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 207 

cruelty and rapacity roused the Jews in defense of the temple and its treas- 
ures. The slaughter of thousands of persons in the contests that followed 
against Florus brought Agrippa to Jerusalem with the hope of restoring 
quiet. Agrippa's proposal that the Jews should submit to Florus until an- 
other procurator should be appointed was received with such violence and 
fury that the king was obliged to leave the city. 

The jealousy and prejudices which had long existed not only between the 
Jews and Romans, but also among the Jews themselves, and which had fre- 
quently been manifest in the various disorders which had already afflicted 
Jerusalem, now at length broke forth in direct hostility to the Roman power. 
Scarcely had Agrippa left the city when Eleazer, the son of Ananias the 
high-priest, raised the standard of revolt by refusing to offer the customary 
sacrifice for the Emperor and the Roman people. The insurgents were now 
masters of the temple and the city. Agrippa sent three thousand horse. 
Fierce contests ensued in which the rebels were the victors. At length 
Cestius Gallus, the Governor of Syria, interposed, but without success. 
With the loss of his engines of war and the slaughter of five thousand of 
his troops, he was obliged to withdraw from the city, November A. D. 66. 

The Jews now felt themselves strong enough to make organized resist- 
ance to the Emperor. The most important posts in Palestine were assigned 
to their bravest citizens. Cestius Gallus and Florus being both dead, the 
government of Syria was assigned by Nero to his general, Yespasian; while 
the latter desired his son Titus to come to him from Egypt with his legions. 

During A. D. 67, various important places of the country fell into the 
hands of Yespasian, who had occupied himself in Galilee. On his reduc- 
ing Giscala, John, the chief personage there, escaped to Jerusalem, 
where he became one of the famous leaders. By the summer of 68 the Ro- 
man army had approached Jerusalem, when Yespasian, hearing of Nero's 
death, awaited orders from the new Emperor, Galba. Meanwhile the state 
of affairs within the city was extremely deplorable. In the middle of the 
year following Yespasian was made Emperor, and his son Titus headed the 
forces in the ever-memorable siege of Jerusalem in the beginning of A. D. 70, 

" The city was crowded with strangers who had gone up to the Passover ; 
and two hostile parties formed, if it may be so called, the garrison. Eleazer 
and John of Giscala held the temple and Antonia, while Simon Ben Gioras 
occupied Phasaelus, the upper and lower city, and Akra ; there was also a 
body of Idumeans. The outer wall was first gained by the besiegers, and 
then the second wall. Both the city and the temple were next attacked ; 
but the Romans made at first little way. Then, as the southern and west- 
ern parts had not been invested, and the inhabitants could go out and sup- 
plies be brought in, Titus determined to surround the whole of Jerusalem 
with a wall ; it was thirty-nine furlongs (nearly five miles) in extent, and 
was completed in three days. Now the people were penned up, in awful 
fulfillment of Christ's words, (Luke xix, 43, 44,) as sheep for the slaughter. 
And there were dismal omens of coming ruin. A man traversed the streets 
crying, l Y r oe, woe to Jerusalem 1' and the priests are said to have heard a 
deep voice, 'Let us depart!' as if the Divine presence were quitting its 
hallowed abode. Fresh assaults were delivered ; at length, on the tenth day 
of the fifth month, the anniversary of the burning of the temple by Nebu- 
chadnezzar, contrary to Titus's command, the temple was fired, and but the 
bare walls of the sanctuary remained. Still the upper city held out; 



208 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

and Titus, standing on the bridge that joined it to the temple, offered terms. 
It was in vain ; and in other desperate assaults the last defenses were over- 
come, and the leaders, Simon and John, ultimately taken; and all was de- 
molished save the west wall of the upper city and Herod's three towers, 
left as memorials of what Jerusalem had been ; and so thoroughly was the 
site leveled and dug up that Josephus declares none would have imagined 
that it ever had been inhabited. [See Josephus, Bell Jud., Lib. VII, i, § 1.] 

" The number of persons who perished in this siege was enormous. Jo- 
ecphus reckons two millions and a half assembled at the passover when 
Cestius was governor, and declares that 1,200,000 were shut in the city by 
the arms of Titus, of whom 1,100,000 were destroyed. Doubtless these 
numbers are exaggerated ; and Mr. Ferguson, in Smith's Diet, of the Bible, 
vol. i, pp. 1025, 1026, denies that the city could ever have contained more 
than 50,000 ordinary inhabitants, and supposes that, at the festivals, these 
might be increased to 60,000 or 70,000. Dr. Thomson, well qualified to 
judge, deems this estimate far too low. He believes that 100,000 could find 
homes even now within the circuit of modern Jerusalem, and that, allowing 
for the greater extent of the ancient town, twice as many may have dwelt 
comfortably there. He also reminds us that, at their sacred solemnities, the 
Jews were able to camp out, and that doubtless multitudes located them- 
selves in the gardens, and on the slopes around. Vast, therefore, must 
have been, after every allowance, the multitudes assembled at the fatal 
siege, and dreadful was the slaughter. It was a fearful retribution when 
thus their accumulated sins, crowned by that worst deed, the slaughter of 
their king, were visited upon the nation. Proud, too, "was the triumphal 
procession which swept through the streets of Rome when the treasures of 
the temple and the sacred vessels were borne as trophies by the victor, the 
iron entering, indeed, now into the souls of the vanquished. The repre- 
sentation of these trophies may be seen on the yet existing Arch of Titus, 
and a medal is preserved which commemorates the subjugation of the sons 
of Jacob. [See Rome] 

" The cup of retribution was even yet not full. There was a Roman gar- 
rison on the spot, and some inhabitants returned, and a kind of town 
gradually gathered around. At length the Emperor Adrian placed a military 
colony there. But the Jews rose in violent rebellion under Bar-Chochebas, 
possessed themselves of the restored city, and it required all the might of the 
empire again to subdue it, 135 A. D. Then Adrian carried out his design. 
The .site was occupied by a colony of soldiers. Foreigners alone might 
dwell in it, and Jews were forbidden to approach. Temples to the heathen 
deities were erected, and the name was changed, to JEXxa Capitolina. 

"When the empire became Christian [313 A. D.J the ancient designation 
revived, though the name JEX\& was not obsolete for many centuries, hel- 
ena, mother of Constantine the Great, made a pilgrimage thither, and tried 
to identify the holy places. Churches were erected, and Jerusalem became 
a Christian city. Julian, in his hatred of the Gospel, allowed the Jews to 
rebuild the temple, [3G3 A. D.] But the design was frustrated. The work 
was, there can be no question, interrupted by fire, which was attributed to 
supernatural causes. For a long while afterward Jerusalem appears to have 
been unmolested ; but the Persian Chosroes II took it in 614 A. D. It was 
re-occupied by the Emperor Heraclius in 628, but surrendered to the Caliph 
Omar in 637." — Ayre. 



: *<m ^xf '• l ■•••■..;.•■•' 




G.W- t C.BCOLTON i Go. NEW YORK 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 211 

Jerusalem now became one of the sacred cities of the Mohammedans. 
The splendid Mosque of Omar, built on Mount Moriah, is an enduring mon- 
ument of this caliph's desire to raise a temple to the honor of the true God 
upon a spot equally venerated by Jew and Christian. 

The Holy City successively passed now into the power of Arabs and 
now under Turkish rule, until it was wrested from the Fatimite Arabs in 
1076 by the race of the Seljouk Turks. These barbarous masters practiced 
Buch infamous wrongs upon the Christians that all Christendom was roused 
with indignation to repossess the sacred site of the ancient temple and 
city. Then followed the famous Crusades, and Jerusalem was taken by the 
first Crusaders, 1099 A.D., from the Fatimites of Egypt, who had already dis- 
possessed the Seljouks eleven months before. Godfrey of Bouillon, who was 
then elected king, was the first of a dynasty of thirteen Latin kings, nir.o 
of whom reigned successively in Jerusalem, until it was taken in 1187 by 
Saladin. The third Crusade was then projected, but without success, and 
the remaining kings of the dynasty were only titular, and resided at Tyre, 
Acre, or elsewhere in Palestine. In 1229 the Emperor Frederic II., of Ger- 
many, by virtue of a treaty with the Sultan of Egypt, seized Jerusalem, but 
through neglect it fell again under Mohammedan rule. In 1241 the Sultan 
of Damascus gave up the city to the Christians, to induce them to aid him 
against Egypt. Three years afterward it was taken by the Kharismians, a 
Tartar horde, after a two days' battle, and in 1247 these new masters of the 
city were dispossessed by the Mohammedans of Syria. 

In 1517 the Ottoman Sultan Selim I. took Jerusalem with the rest of 
Syria and Egypt ; and in 1 542 the present walls of the city were built by 
Soliman the Magnificent. The Pasha of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, occupied 
Jerusalem in 1832; but by European interference he was deprived of his 
Syrian possessions, and in 1841 Jerusalem once more passed under the 
Turkish scepter. 

Y. Present Condition, etc. — In 1864-65 the Royal Engineers made the 
"Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem," and published the result of their labors 
in two folio volumes. The success of this expedition led to the effort, by 
the society known as the " Palestine Exploration Fund," to further explore 
the Holy City by means of excavations. The work was begun in February, 
1867, under the direction of Lieutenant "Warren, R. E. The t exceedingly 
valuable results of this difficult work are published in the Society's Quar- 
terly Statements. From these Statements, from the Survey, and from the 
Hand-book for Syria and Palestine, by the Rev. J. L. Porter, LL. D., the fol- 
io wiLg details are chiefly derived: 

1. General Topography. — Jerusalem stands on a broad mountain ridge, 
the summit of which is broken up into a wilderness of bleak limestone 
crowns separated by deep raviues. White rocks project from the scanty 
soil, and the soil itself is almost as white as the rocks, save where a little 
fotintain trickles, or a vine stretches out its long green branches, or a dusky 
olive lifts up its rounded top and casts its dark shadow. 

In the midst of these crowns commence two valleys. At first they are 
only gentle depressions in a rocky plateau. They both run eastward for a 
short distance ; that on the north continues in this direction about one mile 
and a half, and then makes a sweep to the south, descends rapidly, and be- 
comes deep and narrow, with precipitous sides. This is the Valley of the Kid- 
run. The other, after running about three fourths of a mile east by south, turns 



212 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



suddenly southward, but in less than three fourths of a mile more it er coun- 
ters a rocky hill-side, which forces it again into an eastern course. It now 
descends between broken cliffs on the right and shelving banks on the left 
until in half a mile farther it unites with the Kidron. This is the Valley of 
Hinnom. On the broad ridge between Hinnom and the Kidron stands Jeru- 
salem. This ridge is itself divided by another valley, the Tyrcpxon, which 
ruDS with a slight curve from the north-west to the south- cast, and falls ir.to 
the Kidron a little above its junction with the Valley of Hinnom. Of the 
portions into which the ridge is thus divided that on the west is the larger 
and loftier, and is the Mount Zion of Scripture ; that on the east is Moriah, 
All around the site are loftier summits — nothing approaching to mountains, 
but rounded, irregular ridges — overtopping the buildings from fifty to two 
hundred feet, with openings here and there, through which glimpses at the 
more distant country are obtained. On the east is the triple-topped Mount 
of Olives, its terraced sides rising steeply from the Kidron. On the south 
is the so-called Hill of Evil Counsel, overhanging the ravine of Hinnom. On 
the west the ground ascends to the brow of Wady Beit Hanina, about two 
miles distant. On the north is the hill Scopus, a western projection of the 
ridge of Olivet. It was while the inspired penman looked upon the "mount- 
ains round about Jerusalem" that he compared the righteous to "Mount 
Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever," Psa. exxv, 1, 2. 

The elevations of the various points within the city are given in Map 7, 
which will repay careful study. For a fuller account of the " heights " or 
" crowns " on which the city stands, see Zion, Moriah, Ophel, Bezetha, 

ACRA. 




THE CASTLE OF DAVID, AND YAFA GATE. 

2. The Modern "Walls. — These were erected, as has been stated, by 
Sultan Soliman, in 1542. They appear to occupy the site of the walis of 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 213 

the Middle Ages, from the ruins of which they are mostly constructed. 
Although high and of imposing appearance, they are far from strong. They 
are, however, sufficient to keep in check the roving Arab tribes and the 
turbulent peasantry. The section of the wall on the eastern side, south of 
St. Stephen's gate, is of far earlier date, being constructed in part of massive 
beveled stones. Of a similar character is the south-eastern section : these 
parts form the inclosure of Ear am- esh- Sheriff " the Noble Sanctuary." The 
circuit of the walls is nearly two and an eighth geographical miles. The 
form of the city is irregular, the walls having many projections and indenta- 
tions; but four sides can easily be made out, and these nearly face the car- 
dinal points. The eastern wall runs in nearly a straight line along the brow 
of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, (Kidron.) The northern runs nearly west for 
about six hundred yards over two ridges of rock, which have been excavated 
to a considerable depth on the outside, thus giving the battlements an impos- 
ing and picturesque appearance. Turning then south-west, the wall crosses 
the valley in which is the Damascus Gate, and ascends the ridge to the 
north-west angle, where there is a projection. This is the highest point in 
the city, and commands a fine panoramic view. On the outside the rock 
has been cut away to some depth, while on the inside are massive founda- 
tions of an ancient tower, now called KuVat el-Jdlud — " Goliath's Castle." 
The western wall runs south-east to the Yafa Gate, and then south along 
the brow of the Valley of Hinnom. Adjoining the Yafa Gate on the south 
are the massive towers and deep moats of the old citadel, the " Castle of 
David." See Zion. The southern wall is carried eastward over the level 
summit of Zion, and then east by north in a series of zigzags, down the 
declivity and across the Tyropceon, till it joins the southern wall of the 
Earam. 

3. Gates. — At present there are five open gates in the walls — two on the 
south, and one near the center of each of the other sides. They seem to oc- 
cupy ancient sites. They are as follows: 1. Bab el-KhulU, "the Hebron 
Gate," usually called by Franks " the Yafa Gate." It is on the west side of 
the city, close to the north-western angle of the citadel. It consists of a 
massive square tower, the entrance to which from without is on the north- 
ern side, and the exit within on the eastern. All the roads from the country 
south and west converge to this gate. 2. Bab eVAm.&d, " the Gate of the 
Column," better known as "the Damascus Gate." This is on the north, in 
the center of the valley between the two ridges on which the city stands. 
It is the most ornamental of the gates, and presents an imposing appearance 
with its turrets, battlements, and machicolations. From it runs the great 
north road, past the tombs of the kings and over the ridge of Scopus, to Sa- 
maria and Damascus. 3. Bab elrAsbdt, " the Gate of the Tribes," called by 
native Christians Bab Sitty Mariam, " the Gate of my Lady Mary," and by 
Franks " St. Stephen's Gate," is on the east side, about two hundred feet 
north of the Earam wall. It is a plain portal, with lions sculptured over it. 
A road leads from it down to the bottom of the Kidron, and thence over 
Olivet to Bethany and Jericho. 4. Bab el-Mughdribch, "the Gate of the 
Western Africans," called by the Franks "the Dung Gate," is a small ob- 
scure portal on the south side of the city, near the center of the Tyropux>n. 
It appears to have been but little used, though from it a path leads down to 
the village of Silwdn. 5. Bab en-Neby Baud, "the Gate of the Prophet 
David/' " Zion Gate," Li on the summit of the ridge of Zion> and has in 



214 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



front of it a small Armenian convent, and a group of buildings clustering 
round the tomb of David. 

Besides these there are two gates now walled up. One is on the north 
side, about half way between the Damascus Gate and the north-east angle 
of the city. It is a small portal in a tower, and has been shut since 1834. 
Natives call it Bab ez-Zahery — " the Gate of Flowers," but it is better known 
as "the Gate of Herod." The other is "the Golden Gate," in the eastern 
wall of the Haram. The Arab name is Bab ed-Bahariyeh, " the Eternal 
Gate; " and it is sometimes called Bab et-Taubeh, "Gate of Repentance." 
The Golden Gate is one of the most striking features in the eastern wall. 

It is in the cen- 
ter of a projec- 
tion fifty -five 
feet long, and 
standing out six 
feet. The portal 
is double, with 
semicircular 
arches profusely 
ornamented. 
The architecture 
of the interior is 
very peculiar. 
In the center is 
a range of col- 
umns, some Co- 
rinthian, some 
debased Ionic, 
with exaggerat- 
ed capitals ; and 
at the sides are 
corresponding 
pilasters. From 
Although the external 
ornaments and arches and the interior columns and vaulting are compara- 
tively modern, M. de Yogiie on a close inspection discovered that the gate 
itself is ancient. Colossal monolithic jambs, one about twelve and the other 
fourteen feet high, corresponding in form and position to those in the south- 
ern gates, remain in position, and are the sole vestiges existing above ground 
of a massive portal long anterior in da.te to that now standing. 

4. Streets. — The streets of Jerusalem are only dark ami narrow lanes, 
wretchedly paved, where paved at all. and slippery with filth. A few of 
the leading thoroughfares run in what Easterns would probably call straight 
lines, and they serve as a key to the rest. One street, called the " Street 
of David," — that generally the first trodden by the Western pilgrims — leads 
from the Yafa Gate eastward past the open space beside the citadel, then 
down the side of the ridge and across the valley to the principal entrance 
of the Haram. Bob es-Silsilah. Another main street commences at the Da- 
mascus Gate, traverses the city from north to south, passing near the east- 
ern end of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and through the principal 
bazaar, and terminating a little eastward of the Zion Gate. The northern 




INTERIOR OF THE GOLDEN GATE. 

these spring groined arches supporting the roof. 




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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



217 



section of it is called 
" the Street of the Gate 
of the Column," and 
the southern " the 
Street of the Gate of 
the Prophet David." 
Two other streets may 
here be noticed. The 
first is "Christian 
Street." It runs north- 
ward from the Street 
of David, passing be- 
twoen the Church of the 
Sepulcher and the 
Greek Convent. It con- 
tains a number of 
Frank shops. About 
the center of it a nar- 
row lane leads down 
eastward to the door 
of the Church of the 
Sepulcher, and also to 
the fine old gateway 




A STREET IN JERUSALEM. 



of the palace of the Knights of St. John. Another street begins at the Latin 
Convent, passes down through gloomy archways to the bed of the Tyropoeon, 
and then, after two sharp turns, strikes across in front of the Serai (or 
" palace ") to St. Stephen's Gate. This is the Via Dolorosa of the monks ; 
but called by residents "the Street of the Palace." This street is full of 
traditional sites concerning the Crucifixion. The monks point out the spot 
where Pilate showed the Saviour to the crowd, saying, " Behold the Man ! " 
Here the street is spanned by the Ecce Homo Arch. If this was the Saviour's 
route to Calvary, little do these monks seem to know that the accumulated 
rubbish of centuries covers the true Dolorosa. The student will find other 
streets indicated on Map 10. 

5. Yalleys within the City. — The Tyropoeon Valley, (Map 11,) according 
to Josephus, separated Zion from Akra on the north, and from Moriah and 
Ophel on the east. Thus it swept round two sides of the " Upper City," or 
Zion. The exact position of the head of the Tyropoeon is one of the vexed 
questions of Jerusalem topograph}'-. This question involves the position of 
Zion, concerning which there has been much controversy. For this we 
have not space. See Zion. The simple interpretation of certain passages 
in Josephus (see B. «/"., v, 4, 1; Ant, xv, 11,5) leads us to look for the head 
of this valley immediately along the northern brow of Zion. There a depres- 
sion still exists ; but recent explorations have demonstrated that the valley 
was originally much deeper than it is now. Another valley is mentioned by 
Josephus as a " broad valley." Josephus says: "Over against this (Akra) 
was a third hill, naturally lower than Akra, and formerly separated from it 
by another broad valley. But afterward, during the sovereignty of the Asmo- 
naeans, they threw earth into this valley, desiring to connect the city with 
the temple ; and leveling the summit of Akra, they made it lower, so that 
tho temple might appear above it." From these and other passages in 

11 



218 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 




JEWS' WAILING PLACE. 



Josephus, it seems clear that the Tyropceon Valley began at the Y&fa Gate. 
From this gate it runs eastward for about tive hundred yards, and then, 
sweeping round the north-east corner of Zion, it turns southward and con- 
tinues about eight hundred yards farther, till it joins the Kidron. At its 
mouth is a pool still called Siloam. 

The Jews' Wailing Place 
is in the Tyropceon Valley, 
at the base of the wall 
which supports the west 
side of the temple area. 
There is here a small quad- 
rangular paved area be- 
tween low houses and the 
Haram. In the wall are 
live courses of large beveled 
stones in a tine state of 
preservation, though the 
joints in the lower courses 
are in some places much 
worn, and here and there 
displaced. Here the Jews 
have been permitted for 
many centuries to approach 
the precincts of the temple 
of their fathers, and bathe 
its hallowed stones with 
their tears. On each Friday at this retired spot Jews of both sexes, of all 
ages, and from every quarter of the East, are there raising up a united voice 
of wailing over a desolated and dishonored sanctuary. Compare Psa. lxxix, 
1, 4, 5. 

Anciently there was on the western side of the Tyropoeon a place called 
the " Xystus." It was a kind of Forum, or place of public assembly, at- 
tached to the east side of the palace on Zion, and having colonnades and 
cloisters. From various notices in the writings of Josephus we learn that 
the Xystus was connected at its southern end with the temple court by a 
bridge. The position of this bridge has been discovered within the past few 
years : an account of it will be found on page 232. 

6. Quarters of the City. — The first two streets above named divide the 
city into four quarters. The north-east is the Mohammedan quarter, the 
north-west the Christian, the south-west the Armenian, the south-east the 
Jewish. Until within the past few years the lanes and houses ir. <,he Jew- 
ish quarter were in a wretched state of squalor and dilapidation, out a great 
change for the better has taken place, chiefly owing to the enlightened efforts 
and princely generosity of Sir Moses Montefiore. The Haram constitutes a 
"quarter" of itself, almost equal in extent to one fourth of the city. See 
pages 22?, 228. 

7. General Appearance. — As seen from some commanding eminence, 
the walls of the city seem much too large for it ; the buildings do not nearly 
fill up the space inclosed. There is a group of gardens at the north-easter n 
angle, and there is another group at the north-western; at the south-western 
angle is the large garden of the Armenian convent, while an extensive tract 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 219 

of waste ground — partly covered with heaps of rubbish, partly overgrown 
with prickly pear — extends along the southern wall from Zion Gate to the 
Ear am. And the site of the once splendid palace of the Knights of St. John, 
in the very center of the city, is at present bare and desolate. 

8. The Population of Jerusalem is variously estimated at from 10,000 to 
30,000. The nearest approximation that can be made seems to be about as 
follows: Moslems, 4,000; Jews, 8,000; Greeks, 1,800; Latins, 1,300; other 
sects, 900— Total, 16,000. 

The Mohammedans, as a body, are natives. Connected with the Haram, 
and living in idleness on its ample revenues, is a large number of Dervishes. 
These make the city a hot-bed of fanaticism, so that one cannot approach the 
precincts of their den without being assailed with abuse. 

The Jews are divided into two sects, the Sephardim and the Askenazim. 
The Sephardim are of Spanish origin, having been driven out of Spain in 
1497. At first they were scattered among the great cities of the Turkish 
Empire, but they gradually congregated in Jerusalem. Though long resi- 
dent in the Holy City, comparatively few of them speak Arabic ; their lan- 
guage is a corrupt Spanish. They are subjects of the Sultan, but are per- 
mitted to have their own rabbinical laws. Their chief rabbi is called by the 
Turks Khakham Bashi; his Hebrew title is " the Head in Zion." His prin- 
cipal interpreter lias a seat in the Mejlis, or " council " of the city. The 
Askenazim are chiefly of German and Polish origin, and their numbers are 
continually augmented by fresh arrivals. They are all foreigners, and sub- 
ject only to the consular agents of their native countr} r . They were re- 
admitted into Palestine in the beginning of the present century under the 
wing of the Sephardim. The Askenazim have a chief rabbi, but the only 
authority acknowledged by the government is the Khakham Bashi above 
named. They are divided into several sects: the Perushin, or Pharisees, 
who are the most numerous; the Khasdim, or "Pious," characterized by 
intense fanaticism, and the Khabaad. The Karaites form a small but dis- 
tinct community. They reject the Talmud, and receive the Old Testament ; 
but they are few in number and weak in influence. 

The whole Jewish community, being mainly supported by contributions 
from Europe, and being taught to regard those contributions as a debt owing 
to them, spend their time in idleness. A few study the Talmud and contro- 
versial works in the reading-rooms, of which they have thirty-six, with a 
large paid staff of readers. The news of the funds collected for them by 
their brethren in other countries, and of the large sums occasionally contrib- 
uted for their relief by benevolent friends in England, attract numbers of 
the needy and idle to the Holy City. 

The Greeks, or members of the " Holy Orthodox Church of the East," are 
all native Arabs, speaking the language of the country, and having their 
own secular married clergy. The Patriarch of Jerusalem is their head. He 
has subject to him fourteen sees, but some of them have now neither 
bishops nor flocks. The patriarcli was long an absentee, residing at Con- 
stantinople, but since 1845 he has taken up his abode in the convent beside 
the Church of the Sepulcher. The patriarch, the superior clergy, and all the 
monks, are foreigners, generally from the Greek islands, and speaking only 
the Greek language. 

The Armenians are a branch of that Church and nation whose members 
are spread so widely over the various provinces of the Turkish Empire. 



220 BIBLE GEOGEAPHY. 

The community here numbers about three hundred, who are all foreigners, 
generally engaged in commerce and trade. Their spiritual ruler is styled 
Patriarch of Jerusalem. 

The Georgians were at one time among the wealthiest and most influential 
of the Christian sects in the city, but they have gradually declined. Gradu- 
ally the Greeks and Armenians bought up their convents and property, and 
now they are dependent upon the former for hospitality when they visit any 
of tho sacred shrines. The Copts and Abyssinians possess two convents. 
The Syrians are under the protection of the Armenians, and have a small 
convent in Zion, called the " House of Mark." 

The Latins are principally seceders from the Greek Church. They are 
mostly natives of Syria, and speak the Arabic language. Some of them get 
a scanty subsistence by carving beads, crosses, and other trinkets for pil- 
grims, while a few more have their wants supplied from the alms of the 
great convent. When the monastic system was introduced into Syria in 
the fourth century, hundreds of pilgrims began to crowd to the hallowed 
Bcenes of Bible history, and cluster round them in cells and grots. Many 
came from countries in which the authority of Eome was paramount. The 
most celebrated of these was St. Jerome, who settled at Bethlehem in 386. 
During subsequent centuries others were added, but it was in the time of 
the Crusades that the Church of Rome was enabled to establish an active 
and wide-spread ecclesiastical agency in this land. The head-quarters were 
at first in the "Hospital of the Knights of St. John." Erom this they were 
driven, on the capture of the city by Saladin, and took up their abode on 
Zion around the spot where the tomb of David now stands. This also 
being wrested from them, they then bought the present Convent of St. Sal- 
vador, to which they removed in 1561. 

The remains of the Latin ecclesiastical establishments are now well 
known by the name of Terra Santa convents. They are all in the hands of 
that class of the Franciscans called Fratres Minores ab Observantia, and are 
under the superintendence of a " warden," having the rank of abbot, and 
styled "Guardian of Mount Zion and Keeper of the Holy Land." In 1847 
a Latin Patriarch was appointed for Jerusalem, and he has spiritual over- 
sight of the country, though not of the convents. There are at present 
fourteen convents in Syria subject to the warden, namely, Jerusalem, St. 
John in the Desert, Ramleh, Bethlehem, Yafa, 'Akka, Nazareth, Sidon, Bey- 
root, Tripoli, Larissa, Aleppo, Damascus, and Mount Lebanon. 

Protestants. — The little community of Protestants was organized mainly 
by the " London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews." A 
mission of inquiry was sent to Palestine in 1820. The first missionary, Dr. 
Dalton, took up his residence in Jerusalem in 1824. Many difficulties were 
encountered before ground could be bought for the erection of a church. 
Some temporary buildings were commenced, but the death of the architect 
and the breaking out of a war with Egypt prevented further progress. In 

1841 an agreement was made between the English and Prussian govern- 
ments to establish a bishopric of the Anglican Church at Jerusalem, with a 
diocese embracing Mesopotamia, Chaldasa, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and 
Abyssinia. It was stipulated that the bishop should be nominated alter- 
nately by the crowns of England and Prussia, the Archbishop of Canterbury 
having the right of veto with respect to those nominated by the latter. In 

1 842 the foundation-stone of the new church was laid. The work advanced 



Reference 

1. Ccaitp aC tht. Assyrian* 

3. Tomb ofJIFrtestJohn 
4.To*ers ofJBtpptav&i 
saehu &Marinnuie> 
5. CowhaL Hmxst 
6.XystuM 
1 Tempi: 




Reference 
/ Tool ofSexfkiaK 

2 TheTabzce Ohreh; 

3 Waf*- Gate 
4Jfanple 

5 ytfonwrCt falao-. 

6 Pool of Suoam 



HUNT &. EATON, NEW YORK, 




o 

^ as 
S o 

-«J W 
m B 

H .§ 

<! 

H 
tf 
P 
VI 

o 
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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 227 

till January, 1843, when the Turkish authorities interfered, insisting that if 
a church were erected at all it must be attached to and dependent on a con- 
sulate. 

9. Principal Structures. — The most prominent building is the Mosque 
of Omar, called also " The Dome of the Rock," or Kubbet es-Sukrah. It occu- 
pies a part of the spacious area known as the Haram esh-Shertf, "the Noble 
Sanctuary," (Map 10.) " The massive and lofty walls by which this area 
is surrounded, the green grass of the inclosure, dotted with olives and 
cypresses, and ornamented by marble fountains and mihrabs ; the broad, 
elevated platform, encircled by graceful arches, and diversified by carved 
pulpits, prayer niches, and cupolas ; and the great mosque its '-If, with its 
noble dome rising up in the center of all, bright and gorgeous as a vision of 
fairy-land, its enameled tiles glittering in the sunbeams and exhibiting all 
the hues of the rainbow wrought into patterns of wondrous intricacy and 
grace — these together form a picture such as is scarcely surpassed in the 
world. ... It is so secluded, so still and solemn, that the very sight im- 
presses one with a sense of its sacredness." — Porter. 

Common tradition says that after the Caliph Omar took the city he in- 
quired where the Jewish temple had stood. After some search he was 
conducted to the celebrated rock es-Sukrah, then covered over with filth and 
rubbish. This rock he himself helped to cleanse, and then built over it the 
mosque still existing. But Arab historians inform us that the Caliph Abd 
el-Melek rebuilt the mosque after a design of his own ; that it was com- 
menced in A. D. 686 ; that it was magnificently decorated, and that the out- 
side of the dome was covered with plates of gold. Their accounts are much 
confused, but doubtless the mosque of Abd el-Melek was built over the 
sacred rock, and was identical to a great extent with that now existing. 
The Kubbet es-Sukrah is octagonal, each side measuring sixty-seven feet. 
The lower part of the wall is composed of various-colored marbles, arranged 
in intricate patterns. The upper part is pierced with fifty-six pointed 
windows, filled with stained glass of a brilliancy equal to some of the finest 
specimens in European cathedrals. The whole interior of the walls and 
aome is ornamented in gilt stucco in the arabesque style. The dome is of 
wood, and directly under it is the celebrated rock from which the mosque 
takes its name. 

The "Sacred Rock" is thus described by Captain "Wilson: "The rock 
stands four feet nine and a half inches above the marble pavement at its 
highest point, and one foot at its lowest ; it is one of the ' missse ' strata, and 
has a dip of 12° in a direction of 85° east of north. The surface of the rock 
bears the marks of hard treatment and rough chiseling ; on the western side 
it is cut down in three steps, and on the northern side in an irregular shape, 
the object of which could not be discovered. Near, and a little to the east 
of the door leading to the chamber below, are a number of small rectangular 
holes cut in the rock, as if to receive the foot of a railing or screen, and at 
the same place is a circular opening communicating with the cave. The 
entrance to the cave is by a flight of steps on the south-east, passing under 
a door-way with a pointed arch, which looks like an addition of the Cru- 
saders; the chamber is not very large, with an average height of six feet; 
its sides are so covered with plaster and whitewash that it is impossible to 
see any chisel marks, but the surface appears to be rough and irregular." 
Concerning this rock the Moslems relate a number of absurd traditions. 



228 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Within the Ear am inclosure are many other structures. Facing Bab es- 
Silsileh, " the Gate of the Chain," (which is in the west wall of the inclosure,) 
is a small but richly ornamented cupola called the " Dome of Moses," (not 
the lawgiver.) On the left of the gate are cloisters. Near these are build- 
ings occupied as colleges of dervishes and public schools. To the northward 
are several prayer-stations, and at the northern end is a section of the mass- 
ive ancient wall, and also the scarped rock on which stood the citadel of 
Antonia. In the north-east corner there is nothing worthy of notice. .Along 
the eastern wall is a little building called the Throne of Solomon. A little 
south of this is the Golden Gate, projecting far into the grassy court. Just 
in front of the great mosque on the east is the beautiful little cupola Kubbei 
es- Silsileh, "the Dome of the Chain." It is sometimes called "the Dome of 
Judgment," from the belief that the judgment-seat of Kiug David occupied 
the spot. At the north-west corner of the platform of the great mosque is 
Kubbet el-Arwdh, "the Dome of Spirits," with a cistern or cave beneath it. 
South of this (on the platform) is the cupola Kubbet en-Neby, "the Dome of 
the Prophet," which claims to mark the spot from which the prophet began 
his ascent to Paradise ; and close to it on the south is a Masjad, where the 
angels gave him the necessary instructions for his journey. 

On the southern line of the inclosure is the Mosque El-Aksa. A little 
north of the Gothic porch of the mosque is a marble fountain called 
El-Kas, " the Cup." Beneath this is a very large subterraneous reservoir, 
into which the water from the pools of Solomon was once conveyed. It is 
nearly fifty feet deep, and interspersed with little islands of rock, upon which 
similar-shaped tapering rock- work has been raised to support the ground 
above. Some distance farther, and within a few feet of the great door of 
El-Aksa, is the entrance to the passage leading to the southern gateway of 
the ancient temple. Concerning the Mosque El-Aksa, authorities differ as to 
the date of its erection. Some claim it to be, at least in site and outline, 
identical with the magnificent basilica built about the middle of the sixth 
century by the Emperor Justinian in honor of the Virgin. De Vogiie affirms 
that the present structure is entirely Arab ; but that its form of a basilica, 
its cruciform plan, and the existence of certain ancient remains, prove that 
it was preceded by a Christian church whose ruins served as the kernel of 
the mosque. Mr. Fergusson, on the other hand, most emphatically denies 
that this is the Mary Church of Justinian. He maintains that El-Aksa is 
wholly a Mohammedan structure ; that it was built by the Caliph Abd el- 
Melek at the close of the seventh century; and that Justinian's church was 
erected in the south-east corner of the Earam area. The Mosque El-Aksa 
has the form of a basilica of seven aisles. It is 272 feet long by 184 wide, 
over all thus covering about 50,000 square feet. Captain "Wilson says that 
a great part of the mosque is covered with whitewash ; but the interior of 
the dome, and the portion immediately under it, is richly decorated with 
mosaic work and marble casing. The arabesques and mosaics are similar in 
character, though of different design, to those in the " Dome of the Rock." 

In the south-east corner of the Earam is the Mosque of Isa, (Jesus.) 
Through this is the entrance to the vaults which sustain this section of the 
area. These vaults will be described below. 

On the west of Aksa is the building generally called the Mosque of Abu- 
Bekr. But Captain Wilson says that the Sheikh of the Earam and the edu- 
cated Moslems in Jerusalem know nothing of this name ; and that the> 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 229 

invariably call it ALBaka'at-al-Baidha, (the white corner or place,) some- 
times adding " of Solomon." 

In the " Christian Quarter," in a narrow, crooked street, sometimes called 
Palmer Street, stands the renowned church of " the Holy Sepulcher." Dean 
Stanley says this is " the most sacred of all the Holy Places, in comparison 
with which, if genuine, all the rest sink into insignificance ; the interest of 
which, even if not genuine, stands absolutely alone in the world." This 
"church" comprises a group of buildings 350 feet long by 280 wide, "in- 
cluding seventy sacred localities, presided over by seventeen different sects 
in separate chapels inside the edifice." We give the names of some of these 
"chapels:" "Chapel of Adam;" "Church of the Ointment-bearers," or 
" Church of the Forty Martyrs ; " " The Greek Church ; " " Chapel of the Di- 
vision of the Vestments; " "Chapel of Helena;" "Chapel of the Invention 
of the Cross; " " Chapel of the Mocking; " " Chapel of Golgotha; " " Chapel 
of the Elevation of the Cross; " "Chapel of the Crucifixion." The entrance 
from Palmer Street leads into an open court which is about ninety feet long 
by seventy wide. Certain parts of the church seem to be ancient, that is, 
anterior to the Crusades. The whole, however, is much dilapidated. 

The Holy Sepulcher itself occupies the center of the grand rotunda. 
Dr. Thomson thus speaks of the Sepulcher : " Externally it looks very much 
like a small marble house. All the world knows that it is twenty-six feet 
long and about eighteen broad, and, I should think, something more than 
twenty feet high. It stands quite alone, directly under the aperture in the 
center of the dome. I went into the Chapel of the Angel by its low door, 
saw the stone on which the angel sat, crept into the proper sepulcher room, 
and looked at the raised, altar-like recess on the north side, whose fine 
marble slab is said to cover the real rock couch where the body of our 
Lord was laid. I did not measure these rooms, nor count the silver lamps 
which crowd the little apartment overhead. A thousand pilgrims have 
counted and measured, and given very various results." 

For centuries the sacred site of Christ's sepulcher attracted the enthusiasm 
of all Christendom. And although this enthusiasm of late years has sensi- 
bly abated, yet the traditional interest which still gathers about the Holy 
Sepulcher is considerable. It is not certain that the present church covers 
the sepulcher " hewn out of the rock " (Mark xv, 46) in which was laid the 
body of Jesus. We know that Christ was crucified " without the gate," 
(Heb. xiii, 12,) "nigh to the city," (John xix, 20,) at a place called Golgotha, 
"the place of a skull," (Matt, xxvii, 33,) and apparently near or beside some 
public thoroughfare, (Matt, xxvii, 39.) Therefore if the present " church " 
in question be outside the old walls, it may cover the ancient sepulcher. If 
it prove to be inside those walls, then the site must be abandoned. This 
topographical aspect of the question can be determined only by the plan 
adopted by the Exploration Fund — by digging until the foundations of the 
ancient walls are fully revealed. 

We find no reference in history to the site of the Holy Sepulcher until 
about 300 years after the Crucifixion. Speaking of this tomb, Eusebius de- 
clares that " impious men, or rather the whole race of demons through the 
agency of impious men, had labored to deliver over that illustrious monu- 
ment of immortality to darkness and oblivion." Hence it appears that the 
sepulcher had been covered with earth, and over it had been erected a 
temple of Venus. In the fourth century, when the Emperor Constantino 



230 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

and his mother Helena had become Christian, she had a dream by which 
she was impelled to go to Jerusalem. It is said that, having searched dili- 
gently for the sepulcher in which Christ was buried, they found it. On this 
site Constantine built a group of edifices, which was begun A. D. 326, and 
dedicated in 335. To the building which stood on the place of our Saviour's 
passion was given the name Martyrion, and the chapel at the sepulcher was 
called the Anastasis, or " Resurrection." The Martyrion was destroyed by 
the Persians in 614, but was rebuilt about sixteen years later. The build- 
ings were now erected on a different plan, partly from want of funds, and 
partly to accommodate the additional " Holy Places " that were springing 
up about the sepulcher. Bishop Arculf, who visited Jerusalem in the end 
of the seventh century, gives a full account of these edifices. 

These buildings were again destroyed by the Caliph Hakim in 1010, and 
they were not rebuilt until 1048. The Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1099. 
They remodeled the old structures and added many new shrines. These 
numerous buildings, as they appeared in 1103, are fully described by Saewulf, 
an English monk who followed the Crusaders to Palestine. See Early 
Travels, pp. 37, 38. With the exception of some slight repairs, the buildings 
remained as the Crusaders left them till the year 1808, when they were 
partly destroyed by fire. The roof of the rotunda fell in upon the sepulcher, 
but the latter, though crushed without, was uninjured within. The marble 
columns which supported the great dome were calcined, and the walls in- 
jured. It is difficult to determine precisely how much damage was done, 
owing to the different statements of the various sects. After much difficulty 
and long negotiations permission was granted by the Porte to rebuild the 
church. The new church, as it now stands, was consecrated in 1810. 

Some earnest and able writers have recently maintained that the Sepulcher 
of Christ was on Mount Moriah, and that the church of the Anastasis built 
by Constantine is the " Dome of the Rock," (Mosque of Omar.) See Cal- 
vary ; Moriah. See Mr. Pergusson's article on Jerusalem in Smith's Dic- 
tionary, and an Essay by S. Smith, M. A., on The Temple and the Sepulcher. 

The Ccenaculum. On the southern brow of Zion, without the walls, stands 
the Mosque of David. This is said to occupy the site of the tombs of David, 
Solomon, and other kings. A description of it will be found under Zion. 
"We notice here a "large upper room" of the Mosque, called the Ccena- 
culum. It is a "vaulted gothic chamber," which Stanley says "contains 
within its four walls a greater confluence of traditions than any other place 
of like dimensions in Palestine." The room is fifty feet long by thirty wide, 
and is manifestly ancient. Tradition claims this place as the scene of the Last 
Supper, of the meeting after the resurrection, of the miracle of Pentecost, 
of the residence and death of the Virgin, the martyrdom of Stephen, etc. 

The Palace of Caiaphas is a building which stands between the Coenacu- 
Lum and the Zion gate. There are many other structures of note in the city, 
but we have not space for a description of them. The student will find a 
list of some of them, and their location indicated in Map 10. 

10. Chief Points of Interest in the Vicinity. See, under Bible Allu- 
sions, (in the present article,) " Places in and around ; " and " Pools, 
Fountains, and Brooks." 

11. Climate of Jerusalem. The general temperature of the mountainous 
region on which the city stands does not differ much from the south of 
Prance ; but in other respects there is a wide difference. The variations of 









BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 231 

rain, sunshine, and shade, which in a greater or less degree ex st during the 
summer in most parts of Europe, are here unknown. From May to Sep- 
tember is one uninterrupted blaze of sunshine. There is generally a breeze; 
but, as during the day it is wafted across white sterile hills by which the 
sun's rays are strongly reflected, it becomes like the " breath of a furnace." 
The rains begin about the middle of Octobsr. Snow often falls in January 
and February, and ice occasionally appears on the surface of the pools. The 
rains usually cease in April, though showers sometimes fall in May. The 
Birocco wind, which blows at intervals in spring and the early part of Bum- 
mer, is the most oppressive. This wind always comes from the south, and 
illustrates our Lord's words in Luke xii, 55. While on the whole the climate 
of Jerusalem is salubrious, it would be much improved by a proper attention 
to cleanliness throughout the streets, courts, and waste places of the city. 

12. General Results of Excavations in and around the City. — The 
modern city stands on the accumulated ruins of two thousand years. Within 
historical knowledge Jerusalem has sustained more than twenty sieges ; and 
again and again the city has "become heaps," Micah iii, 3. Through these 
heaps of rubbish the tool of the explorer has pierced to a depth, in some 
places, of more than one hundred feet. In reading the following details com- 
pare Maps 7, 10, and 11 with the plans as shown in the frontispiece and 
on page 194. 

The Bezetha Quarry. — Not far from the Damascus Gate is the entrance to 
the vast cavern from which it is probable the huge stones were quarried 
for the magnificent structures of Jerusalem. The quarry is six hundred feet 
long, and extends in a southeasterly direction. The roof of rock is about 
thirty feet high, even above the great heaps of rubbish on the bottom. The 
niches in the wall from which the stone blocks have been taken are not only 
of the same form and size with the stones in the south-east corner of the 
Haram area, but also of the same material. Chisel-marks are yet every- 
where to be seen. Here, doubtless, is the place where the stone was "made 
ready," so that on the temple site ' there was neither hammer nor ax, nor 
any tool of iron, heard in the house while it was in building," 1 Kings vi, 7 
At the end of the cave are blocks of stone half-quarried, with the marks of 
the chisel still fresh upon them. 

The Haram Elevation. — Moriah was originally of such a shape that it would 
have been impossible to build the temple on the natural ridge. Solomon 
therefore raised massive walls from the valley on each side, and thus secured 
a level platform. Hence between the walls and the hill-slopes there were 
vast hollows. These, however, were in great measure utilized for the 
temple service by forming vaults, tanks, avenues, etc. Figure 1 (facing page 
232) will illustrate the plan of the platform. K is the ridge of Moriah ; A A 
is the natural rock; BB is the accumulated debris; C is the present surface 
at the south-west end of the Haram, the Tyropceon Valley ; D is the present 
surface at the east end, the Kidron Valley; E is the wall below the ground. 
F is the Haram wall above ground. At G, at the south-west end, a shaft 
has been sunk to the depth of eighty-seven feet, where the true bed of the 
Tyropceon was found. See dark patch under E. The south Haram wall 
below the ground (E) has been exposed in many places, and practically traced 
through the whole length of about 1,000 feet, and it is, without doubt, the 
wall of Solomon's temple. When Jesus declared " there shall not be left one 
atone upon another that shall not be thrown down," he referred to the temple, 



232 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

not to the inclosure, Mark xiii, 1, 2. In the west wall at the Jews' Wailing- 
Place, and also at the south-east corner, (H,) are many courses of huge bev- 
eled stones in a fine state of preservation. These stones have remained in 
their present position since the days of our Lord. If the accumulated rub- 
bish were removed, this wall would rise grandly one hundred and fifty feet 
above the Hinnom Valley. Upon the old temple walls Herod's cloister, the 
Stoa Basilica, rose to an additional height of fifty feet. See Map 31. It has 
been discovered also that the wall at the north-east angle rose to a height 
as great as that of the south wall. The deepest shaft yet sunk at the north- 
east angle is one hundred and ten feet below the surface, and it " found the 
rock still sloping downward, and revealed the existence of a valley, sus- 
pected before, but not certainly known, across the north-east angle. The 
surface of the Haram, therefore, in some part of which the temple, without 
any doubt, stood, is like the lid of an oblong box, three of whose angles 
are about one hundred and twenty feet above the rock." 

Captain Warren has made a most important discovery at the south-east 
angle. He found certain peculiar characters inscribed on the stones in the 
very lowest course, where they lie on the living rock. The eminent Semitic 
scholar, M. Deutsch, decides that the marks are " partly letters, partly nu- 
merals, and partly special masons' or quarry signs; " that they "were on the 
stones when they were first laid in their present places ; " and, most im- 
portant of all, " they are Phenician." It will be remembered that Phenician 
workmen were furnished to Solomon by the king of Tyre, 1 Kings v-vii. 

Robinson's Arch. — A few rods south of the Jews' Wailing-Place, and at a 
distance of thirty-nine feet from the south-west angle of the Haram wall, are 
three courses of stone, extending fifty-two feet, and projecting from its 
surface. It was believed by Dr. Robinson that these stones formed the 
segment of an arch, corresponding in position to a bridge, which, according 
to Josephus, connecced the temple with the " Upper City." The excavations 
by Captain Warren have established this theory. This officer, by sinking a 
shaft at this place, found the western pier which supported the other end of 
the arch. This pier is of the same length with the segment on the Haram 
wall. From the base of the pier to the Haram wall a limestone pavement 
extends, and on this pavement were found the voussoirs of the wedge-shaped 
arch-stones of the bridge, lying in rows north and south, just as they 
had been cast down centuries ago — probably at the siege of Titus. Warren 
made a still more important discovery by sinking a shaft through the pave- 
ment to the depth of twenty-three feet. Here was found a conduit cut out of 
the solid rock, and running north-west along the bed of the Tyropceon. Across 
this water-course the explorers saw the voussoirs of another, and therefore 
still more ancient arch. Probably this was the bridge destroyed by 
Aristobulus for the purpose of cutting off the temple from communication 
with the city when it was besieged by Pompey. In the conduit a square 
hole was also discovered, which indicates that it was the opening of a 
cistern. Thus the passage was not a cistern, but a conduit for pure water. 
" Scandals whispered at the mouth of this well may have echoed round its 
rocky sides as far back as the time when the Jebusites and Canaanites 
ruled in the land." 

The bridge of which Robinson's Arch formed a part extended from the 
temple to Zion. It was 52 feet wide and 350 long, and rested upon several 
arches. Figure 2 will illustrate the discoveries made at the bridge. A is 



I 












BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



235 




robinson's arch. 



Iho present surface ; BB is the natural 
rock ; C, the accumulated rubbish ; 
D, the Haram wall ; E, the segment 
of Robinson's Arch ; F, the pier of 
the arch ; G, the pavement ; HH, the 
fallen voussoirs; K, the water-course. 

It was upon this magnificent bridge, 
and upon the stupendous walls adja- 
cent, that the Queen of Sheba looked 
in such amazement that " there was 
no more spirit in her," 2 Chron. ix, 4. 
The "ascent" by which Solomon 
" went up into the house of the 
Lord " may have been the massive 
flight of steps which rose up on each 
side of the valley. These stairs have 
not yet been discovered. 

At the south-east corner of the Haram wall the spring of another arch is 
visible : all that is to be seen is one course formed of two stones. Its dis- 
tance from the corner is the same as Robinson's Arch ; hence a line or path 
would lead straight from one to the other. The spring course of this second 
bridge would indicate a much slighter structure than the one above described. 
The Kidron Valley here is also much broader and deeper than the Tyropceon. 
Concerning the design of this bridge there are two theories : one is, that it 
was for the scapegoat to pass over on its way to the Dead Sea and the desert ; 
the other, that it was an aqueduct by which the waters from the temple 
could " issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and 
go into the sea," Ezek. xlvii, 8. The great accumulation of debris at this 
point shows that the ancient bed of the Kidron is about fifty feet deeper 
than the present valley, and probably a hundred feet nearer the temple area. 

The Vaults. — Under the south-east corner of the Haram area are the im- 
mense sub-structures called "Solomon'3 Stables" by the Franks, and Al 
Masjed al-Kadim (the old mosque) by the Moslems. The entrance to these 
vaults is described by Captain Wilson as "through a hole, broken in the 
crown of one of the arches, near the south wall of the Haram, between the 
Alsa mosque and the cradle of Jesus. ... In the masonry of the piers may 
still be seen the holes by which the Crusaders fastened their horses when 
the place was used as a stable." In their present form these vaults are com- 
paratively modern ; but yet " there are distinct traces of somewhat similar 
vaults of a far more remote age — coeval, in fact, with the massive founda- 
tions of the encircling wall." — Porter. Concerning these sub-structures 
Do Vogue says : " It appears to me evident that at the epoch of the first 
system of masonry a net-work of gigantic caves, arched like the fragments 
which we have now before our eyes, occupied the whole artificial section of 
the platform of the temple ; the Arab substructions which we now describe 
are a later and feeble imitation of that splendid arrangement. It may be 
that some well-preserved portions of these vaults still exist under the south- 
western corner of the Haram and under the Mosque el-Aksa." The vaults 
of the temple are incidentally mentioned by Josephus, B. J., v, 3, 1. 

The Wall of Ophel. — Southward of the vaults just described Captain 
Warren has found the ancient wall of Ophel. Figure 3 (facing page 232) 



236 BIBLE GEOGEAPHY. 

illustrates both this important discovery and also the vaults : A is the south- 
east corner of the liar am area ; B is the east wall ; C is the south wall ; 
D "Solomon's Stables," laid open in the plan for inspection ; E is agate 
to the vaults; F is the line of the present surface of the ground; G is the 
ancient wall of Ophel, disentombed for inspection ; H is one of the towers. 
This wall has been traced for 700 feet south-south-west of this tower. "While 
we may not determine its date, it seems probable that this wall is at least on 
the site of the old wall built by Manasseh, and mentioned in Nehemiah. 
This discovery shows how the suburb of Ophel lay under the temple wall. 
See 2 Chron. xxvii, 3 ; xxxiii, 14; Neh. iii, 26, 27. See Ophel. 

Barclay's Gate. — About 270 feet from the south-western angle of the west 
Earam wall is an enormous lintel, which rests over a gateway named 
after Dr. Barclay. In 1866 Captain Wilson excavated to a depth of about 
25 feet in front of the north jamb of the gate without reaching the sill. He 
also explored a cistern in the Haram area, which proved to be the continu- 
ation of the Mosque el-Bzirak, the two together forming the passage leading 
from Barclay's Gate to the Haram area above. In March, 1869, Captain 
"Warren made an excavation not far from the former shaft. At 5 feet below 
the surface a lamp and pieces of broken pottery were found. At about 23 
feet from the surface the sill course of stones was met with. The top of 
this course is 28 feet 9£ inches below the lintel, and the bottom is 32 feet 
1^- inches below it. Nine inches below the bottom of the sill course the ex- 
plorers came upon a stone flagging forming the flat roof to a drain running 
along the Haram wall toward the south-west angle. This conduit is 2 feet 
4 inches wide, and 5 feet 6 inches high. It is the same drain with that 
found above the pavement at Bobinson's Arch. Sinking through this drain, 
the top of a wall appeared, perpendicular to and abutting on the Haram wall, 
at 31 feet below the surface. The excavation continued until at 73 feet 7 
inches the rock was struck. This is cut horizontally, and the bottom stone 
of the Haram wall is let into it. Of the mode of access to this gate "Warren 
says : " It appears that the road to Barclay's Gate from the Tyropceon Valley 
may have been by means of a causeway, raised 46 feet above the rock. 
"Whether it may have been solid or supported on arches is not apparent." 

Wilson's Arch. — A few rods north of the Wailing Place, and just beneath 
Bab es-Silsileh, Captain Wilson, descending into a cistern called el-Burak, 
found a section of the old Haram wall in a fine state of preservation. Bo- 
yond it is an arch, having a width of 43 feet and a span of 42, built of 
massive stones from 7 to 13 feet in length. On the west side of this arch 
Captain Warren discovered, in 1868, a vast system of vaults and subter- 
ranean chambers. The road to Bab es-Silsileh passes over the arch, and thus 
we have proof that here was one of the ancient entrances to the temple. 

The valley from Jaffa Gate to Bab es-Silsileh. — Captain Warren says: " During 
(he past year (1869) many tanks have been examined in the city, and the 
level surface of rock ascertained from them, so that we have now an ap- 
proximate contour plan showing the surface of rock in the city. ... At 
each tank are petty difficulties. . . . One result, however, is the certainty 
of a valley running down from the Jaffa Gate to the Bab es-Silsileh." 

Gennath Gate, (so called). — Referring to the result of the excavations made 
up to December, 1869, Warren remarks: " The jambs of the gate do not rest 
on the rock, but on made earth mixed with pottery, similar to what we found 
at lowest point south-east angle of Haram area. . . . No walls of any kind 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 237 

were found near the rock, and no signs of any wall older than the Gennath 
Gate within thirteen feet to the east, and twenty feet to the south ; if the 
first wall of the city was built up from the rock, and was not totally de- 
stroyed, it was not within the above-mentioned distance of this gate." 

Damascus Gate. — Recent excavations at and around the Damascus Gate 
show that it occupies the site of one of the ancient gates of the city, but 
whether of the second or the third wall is still undetermined. 

Golden Gate. — A shaft and gallery outside the Golden Gate, excavated 
with great labor, were crossed and stopped by a thick wall which the ex- 
plorers could not get through. 

Excavations at the north-east angle of the Haram Area. — At this angle sev- 
eral points of much interest have been settled by Captain Warren. Under 
date of August, 1869, he writes: "1. We find that the tower (so-called 
Tower of Antonia) at the north-east angle of the Haram area forms part of 
the main east wall, and at near its base the wall and tower are flush, or in 
one line. 2. The wall is built up of beveled stones from the rock, but up to 
a certain height (nearly the same as at Robinson's Arch) the stones have 
rough faces. 3. The rock, which is only 20 feet below the surface at 
the St. Stephen's Gate, falls rapidly past the tower, so that at the southern 
angle the wall is covered up with debits to a depth of no less than 110 feet, 
and the total height of the wall is over 150 feet. 4. There is now no doubt 
that the valley at the Bab az-Zahire passes down through the Birket Israil 
(the so-called Pool of Bethesda) into the Haram area, and thence out to the 
east between the north-east tower and the Golden Gate. ... 5. Some char- 
acters in red paint have been found on the bottom of the stones of the 
Haram wall under the southern end of this tower. ... 6. It appears prob- 
able that the four courses of beveled stones of this tower, which appear 
above ground, are in situ, and also in the wall south of the tower, but of 
this latter it does not seem so certain. 7. The faces of the stones below 
a certain line are described as rough, (in paragraph 2,) but they are quite 
unlike the roughly-faced stones at the south-west angle. The faces project 
from two to twenty inches or more, presenting a very curious appearance. 
8. The stone used does not seem to be so compact and hard as that used at 
the south-east angle, and the chisel working is not so carefully done." In 
November, 1869, Warren adds: "The gallery has been driven 40 feet south 
of southern angle of the north-east tower, and a shaft sunk facing five courses 
of the wall. ... It is highly probable that the Haram wall at this end is, 
from the present surface to the rock, (over 110 feet,) composed of stones with 
well-dressed marginal drafts, and with faces projecting considerably ; while 
the tower forming part of the wall is composed of stones with projecting 
faces up to a certain height, and after that with the well-known type of 
beveled stones." 

The Water Supply of Jerusalem. — Notwithstanding the natural disadvan- 
tage of position, the Holy City seems always to have had an abundant sup- 
ply of water. A* present the city is well supplied by cisterns. Every house 
of any size has one or more of them. Many of these are ancient. Attached 
to the Convent of the Copts, east of the Holy Sepulcher, is a cistern of great 
extent, and excavated wholly in the rock. Large cisterns are also found in 
the Latin Convent, in the Church of the Flagellation, among the olive-groves 
north of the city, and in every quarter within the circuit of the ancient walls. 
There are also many large open reservoirs in and around the city. The 



238 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 






water of the Birhet el-Mamilla (Upper Pool of Gihon ?) is conducted by a sub- 
terranean conduit to the Pool of Hezekiah, within the city, and also to the 
cisterns of the citadel. This conduit passes underneath the city wall near 
the Jaffa Gate. Compare Isa. vii, 3 ; xxxvi, 2 ; with 2 Kings xx. 20 ; 2 
Chron. xxxii, 30. The Pool of Hezekiah is about 240 feet long by 144 wide. 
It has no great depth. This reservoir originally extended 60 feet farther 
north, and the stones of its boundary wall are found to be of high antiquity. 
One of the largest pools around Jerusalem is found on the west side of the 
great north road not far from the tombs of the kings. It seems to have been 
connected by subterranean channels with the Birhet Israil, and also with 
Birhet Sitti Mariam, and probably with other cisterns in the vicinity. 

The work of Hezekiah (compare 2 Chron. xxxii, 3, 4, 30, with Ecclus. 
xlviii, 17) in bringing water into the city was one of vast magnitude and 
labor, as the aqueducts and reservoirs were mostly excavated in the rock. 
It is probably to these works of Hezekiah that Josephus refers when he 
mentions a gate near the tower of Hippicus through which water was 
brought into the city, and also an aqueduct connected with the royal palace 
on Zion. In sinking the foundation for the English Church, which occupies 
a part of the site of the palace, the architect discovered, at a depth of more 
than 20 feet beneath the surface, " a vaulted chamber of fine masonry in 
perfect repair, resting on the rock. "Within it were steps leading down to a 
solid mass of stone-work covering an immense conduit, partly hewn out of 
the solid rock, and partly built with even courses of masonry, and lined with 
cement an inch thick." This conduit was traced eastward for more than 
200 feet. Apertures from above open into it at intervals, and these were 
evidently made to enable people to draw water by means of bucket and line. 

The cisterns or fouutains beneath the Haram have already been referred 
to, (page 228.) A fuller description is here given. A vast supply of water 
was needed not only for the ordinary use of the large population of Jeru- 
salem, but for the great demand made by the Temple service. The cisterns 
under the Temple area formerly furnished an almost inexhaustible supply. 
At least forty-three well- mouths now lead to reservoirs below the Haram 
area. One of them, described in Ecclesiasticus 1, 3, as " in compass as the 
sea," is referred to by Aristeas, the embassador of Ptolemy Philadelphia. 
It contains at least 1,000,000 gallons. The tank under El-Ahsa holds 
700,000 gallons, and Warren computes the capacity of the cisterns under the 
Haram area at 5,000,000 gallons. Strabo describes Jerusalem as "within 
truly well-watered, but without altogether dry." Tacitus speaks of it as "a 
fountain of perennial water, mountains hollowed out underneath, also tish- 
pools and cisterns, rain-water being preserved." The ancient aqueduct from 
Solomon's Pools still supplies the city with water. See Solomon's Pools. 

About 300 yards south of the l?aram is the " Fountain of the Virgin." 
This fountain is connected by a subterranean conduit with the interior of the 
hill beneath Ophel, which it thus supplied with water. 

Near the southern end of Ophel, in the Tyropceon, is the " Pool of Siloam." 
This pool is connected with the Fountain of the Virgin. See Stloam. 

In the bottom of the Kidron, a little below its junction with the Valley of 
Hinnom, is " The "Well of Joab," the Bir Eijub of the Arabs. The Franks 
call it the " Well of Nehemiah." Some identify " En-Rogel " with this well. 
See En-Rogel ; Zoheleth. Bir Eyub is 125 feet deep, walled up with large 
hewn stones terminating in an arch above, apparently of high antiquity. 



THE TABERNACLE 




HUNT &. EATON, NEW YORK 



[I) THE TEMPLE 







BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 243 

One of the most interesting excavations is that made by Captain Warren, 
in connection with the Great Rock-cut Aqueduct in the Kidron Valley. This 
aqueduct, which is a splendid piece of engineering, lies from 70 to 90 feet 
under the surface of the rock. It extends from near Bir Eyiib to a point 
over 1,800 feet down the valley, where it " stops unfinished and suddenly." 
It is not determined whether this great tunnel comes down the Kidron Valley, 
the Tyropoeon, or by the valley from the Jaffa Gate. Nor is the purpose for 
which it was used yet discovered ; but " we have the chance of its being a 
clue to the Altar of the Temple, and — which is of more practical value to the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem — to the hidden springs of Hezekiah, which, if found, 
might again supply the city with living water." 

The site of the Temple, the ancient Walls and Gates. — Modern writers disagree 
concerning the exact site of the Temple and the extent of its courts. All, 
however, seem to admit that the Temple stood somewhere within the present 
Haram inclosure. Williams makes the Temple area identical with the north- 
era section of the Haram, and claims that the southern was added at a later 
age. He places the high altar on the Sacred Rock, and the Naos or fane 
on the platform a little to the west. Others, among whom are Catherwood 
and De Vogue, assert that the whole Haramwas included in Herod's Temple. 
Fergusson maintains that the whole Temple area occupied a section of the 
south-west corner of the Haram, measuring about 600 feet square. He 
locates the Naos a short distance east of the Wailing- Place. All the rest of 
the Haram was outside the ancient city until Agrippa built the wall which 
now incloses the Haram on the east. Robinson, Porter, and others, identify 
the Temple platform with the lower section of the Haram, reaching north- 
ward as far as the Golden Gate. See Maps 25, 26, 27. (See an able dis- 
sertation on the Temple in Strong's Harmony of the Gospels.) 

The ancient walls were built at different periods. The first or old wall en- 
circled Zion; the second Akra ; the third Bezetha. There seems also to have 
been another wall — a strong rampart which extended along the eastern brow 
of Zion. Josephus gives us the general course of the three walls, ( Wars, v, 
4, 2.) The walls built by Nehemiah after the captivity, as well as the sites 
of the gates, were substantially the same as those described by Josephus, 
Neh. hi. We have not space to describe the course of these walls. The 
conjectural plan is given on page 194, and the list of gates on page 195. 
The first or old wall was made exceedingly strong by David, Solomon, and 
their successors. An account of excavations made along the northern line 
of this wall may be found under Zion. The second wall was built for the 
defense of Akra. The third wall, or Wall of Bezetha, was commenced by the 
elder Agrippa about A. D. 43, under the Emperor Claudius, in a style of great 
strength, but was left off through fear of offending the emperor. The Jews 
afterward completed it, though on a more humble scale. Much difference 
of opinion has existed concerning the course of these walls and the sites of 
the gates and towers ; the course of the second wall being the chief subject 
of controversy, as it involves the genuineness of the Holy Sepulcher. 

The topography of ancient Jerusalem can be determined only by the proc- 
ess of excavation. The general results of this method, as given in the 
preceding pages of this article, afford the strongest grounds for believing 
that the officers now prosecuting the work with so much zeal and ability 
will be able to settle most, if not all, of the vexed questions concerning the 
ancient sites in and around the Holy City. 



244 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Jesh'anah, or Jesha'nah, old, a town taken by Abijah from Jeroboam. 
2 Chron. xiii, 1 9. Schwarz places it at " Al-Sanim, a village two miles west of 
Bethel," but this identification is not confirmed. 

Jeshimon, or Jeshi'mon, the waste, a name used to designate the 
position of Pisgah and Peor, both described as " facing the Jeshimon," Num. 
xxii, 20; xxiii, 28. Again, the hill of Hachilah is described as being to 
the south of Jeshimon, 1 Sam. xxiii, 19; and before it, xxvi, 1, 3. Also 
when David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon they were in the 
plain, that is, the Ghor, the sunken district of the Dead Sea, ' south of Jeshi- 
mon,' xxiii, 24. Mr. Grove says that Jeshimon was probably on the west 
of the Dead Sea. Some suppose it a high waste land east of the Dead Sea, 
in view of the hill country on the west. Mr. Porter thinks there may have 
been two Jeshimons : one east of the Jordan, connected with Pisgah and 
Peor ; the other west of the Jordan, and connected with Hachilah and Maon, 
and he is inclined to believe that the term Jeshimon (sometimes elsewhere 
translated desert, wilderness) here means in the one instance the ;t wilderness 
of Arabia," and in the other the " wilderness of Judea." But perhaps it is 
unsafe to lay much stress on the Hebrew sense of the name. 

Jesh'ua, Jehovah the salvation, the name of a town occupied by the children 
of Judah after their return from exile, Neh. xi, 26. It probably lay in the 
extreme south of Judah, near Moladah, but its site is unknown. 

Je'tur, nomadic camp, Gen. xxv, 15. See Itur^ea. 

Jeth'lah, high, may he exalt him, a city of Dan, named with Ajalon and 
Thimnathah, Josh, xix, 42. Unknown. 

Jew, Jews. The term "Jew" seems to have come into use first as the 
designation of a subject of the kingdom of Judah, 2 Kings xvi, 6 ; xxv, 25 ; 
Jer. xxxii, 12; xxxviii, 19; xl, 11; xliii, 9; although in some of these pas- 
sages it is probably used in a wider sense, as applicable to all who were of 
the seed of Abraham, and such is undoubtedly its meaning in Jer. xxxiv, 9. 
After the return from the captivity it became the designation of the whole 
Israelitish people, a consequence, probably, of the predominance of the mem- 
bers of the kingdom of Judah among those who returned. In the later 
books of the Old Testament we find the term frequently thus used, and even 
extended to those who still remained dispersed among the Gentiles, Ezra 
iv, 12. 23 ; v, 5 ; vi, 8 ; Neh. i, 2 ; ii, 16, etc. In the New Testament the 
term is used to indicate a descendant of Jacob, a member of the Jewish 
community as distinguished from one of Gentile birth, Mark vii, 3 ; Luke 
xxiii, 51 ; John iv, 9, etc. It is also employed to designate one who adhered 
to the Jewish religion and modes of worship, especially as distinguished 
from the followers of Jesus Christ, Rom. ii, 17 ; hi, 1 ; 1 Cor. ix, 20, etc 
Then, again, it was used to denote one who truly came up to the spiritual 
idea of the Jewish institute, who was a true son of the covenant in its higher, 
its spiritual aspect, Rom. ii, 28, 29 ; Rev. ii, 9. The phrase, " the Jews," 
sometimes occurs, with an implied allusion to the antagonism between those 
who adhered to the Mosaic institute and those who embraced Christianity, 
to describe those who came forth as the active enemies of Christ and his 
cause. In this sense it is used especially in St. John's Gospel ; 'and thus also 
it appears to be employed in Matt, xxviii, 15 ; Acts xii, 3 ; xx, 3. 

By the classical writers the term " Jews " is used as the proper designa- 
tion of the Hebrew people ; but the references they make usually show utter 
ignorance both of the history and character of the people. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 215 

Jew'ry, the district or province of Judea, Dan. v, 13. This term occurs 
in several passages of the Apocrypha, being retained from the older transla- 
tions and the Greek is so translated in two passages of the New Testament, 
Luke xxiii, 5 ; John vii, 1 . 

Jezreel, (Map 5,) xohat God planteth or scattereth. 

1. A city in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 56. In his wanderings David 
took a wife from this town, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, 1 Sam. xxv, 43; 
xxvii. 3 ; xxx, 5. The site is lost. 

2. An ancient city of Canaan, situated on the western declivity of Mount 
Gilboa, overlooking the great plain to which it gave the name Esdraelon. 
On the northern side of the city, between the parallel ridges of Gilboa and 
Moreh, lies a rich valley, an offshoot of Esdraelon, running down eastward 
to the Jordan. This was called the Valley of Jezreel ; and Bethshan, 
with the other towns in and around the valley, was originally inhabited by 
a fierce and warlike race who had " chariots of iron," Josh, xvii, 16 ; Judg. 
vi, 33 ; Hosea i, 5. The region fell to the lot of Issachar, but neither this 
tribe nor its more powerful neighbor Ephraim were able to drive out the 
ancient people, Josh, xix, 18. In David's time Jezreel was one of the im- 
portant towns that remained true to the house of Saul until Ish-Bosheth'a 
death, 2 Sam. ii, 8, etc. Ahab chose it as the royal residence, 1 Kings 
xviii, 45; xxi, 1. Here Jehu put Jehoram and Jezebel and Ahaziah to death, 
2 Kings ix, 15-26, 30-37. See also 2 Kings x, 11. In the valley of Jezreel 
occurred that memorable victory of Gideon over the Midianites, Judg. vi, 33 ; 
also the melancholy defeat of Israel by the Philistines by the " fountain of 
Jezreel," 1 Sam. xxix, 1-11; xxxi, 1-6; 2 Sam. iv, 4. In Ahab's time the 
city gained its greatest pre-eminence. That monarch had a palace here, 
which probably stood in the eastern quarters of the town ; for it was just as 
Jehu entered the gate that Jezebel looked out upon him, 2 Kings ix, 31. 
The vineyard of Naboth must have been outside of the walls to the east, 
near the fountain, since it was into that portion that Joram's body was cast 
before Jehu entered the city, 24-26. 

In the Middle Ages this town was known as Stradela; and during the 
Crusades as Parvum Gerinum, or Gerin. Its modern name is Zerin. It 
occupies a noble site on the western point of Mount Gilboa, about one hun- 
dred feet above the plain. It overlooks the whole expanse of Esdraelon to 
Carmel and the hills of Galilee ; and from it one can look down the broad and 
fertile vale of Jezreel to the tell of Bethshan, and away beyond it ar^d beyond 
the Jordan to the hills of Gilead. The line of the old road along which Jehu 
drove can be traced ; it descends the steep slope, and enters the valley near 
a fountain. Zerin is now a wretched village. Mr. Porter says it contained, 
when he recently visited it, about twenty miserable houses. The only 
sightly building is a square tower, now used as a meddfeh, or inn, where 
travelers are treated to bare walls, and a supper at the public expense. 
Round the village are heaps of rubbish, and more than three hundred cis- 
terns or subterraneous granaries for storing corn and preserving it from the 
plundering Bedouin. There are also several sarcophagi, some with sculp- 
tured ornaments. 

Jez'reelite and Jez'reelitess, an inhabitant of Jezreel, 1 Kings xxi, 1, 4, etc. 

Jiph'tah, he opens, one of the towns allotted to Judah, iu the plain of 
Philistia, and was probably near to Eleutheropolis, Josh, xv, 43. It is uol 
identified. 

i2 



246 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Jiph'thah-el, God opens, a valley which, formed part of the boundary be- 
tween Asher and Zebulun, Josh, xix, 14, 27. According to Dr. Robinson 
this place was identical with Jotapata, the city which so long withstood 
Vespasian, (see Josephus, B. J., hi, 7 ;) and it survives in the modern Je/at, a vil- 
lage in the mountains of Galilee, half way between the Bay of Acre and the 
Lake of Genesareth. 

Jog'behah, lofty, elevated, a town in the territory of Gad, east of the 
Jordan, Num. xxxii, 35. Gideon surprised Zeba and Zalmunna at Karkor, 
near this place, Judges viii, 10, 11. It is possibly El-Jebeiha, between Am- 
man and Us- Salt. 

Jok'deam, possessed by the people (?), a town in the south of Judah, near 
Juttah and Carmel, Josh, xv, 56. Unknown. 

Jok'meam, gathered of the people, one of the cities given to the Kohath- 
ites out of the tribe of Ephraim, 1 Chron. vi, 68; 1 Kings iv, 12, (though 
in the A. Y. inaccurately Jokneam, probably by a printer's error.) It 
was probably in the eastern part of the tribe, and identical with Kibzaim, 
Josh, xxi, 22. Mr. Porter and others think that the Jokmeam of the 
Hebrew text of 1 Kings iv, 12, was at the western extremity of Esdraelon, 
and that it was no doubt identical with Jokneam, as the translators of 
our A. Y. seem to have thought. But in this passage the town in ques- 
tion is named with places which we know to have been in the Jordan valley, 
at the extreme east boundary of the tribe. See Robinson's Biblical lie- 
searches, and also Kitto's Cyclopedia. 

Jok'neam, (Map 5,) possessed by the people, an ancient royal Canaanitish 
city situated at the base of Mount Carmel, whence its name, Jokneam of 
Carmel, Josh, xii, 22; xix, 11. In Judith vii, 3, it is Cyamon. It was 
allotted to the Merarite Levites, Josh, xxi, 34. Its king was one of those 
destroyed by Joshua. The site is probably identical with Tell Kaimon, a 
hill below the eastern end of Carmel, with the Kishon about a mile distant. 
Jokneam is found in 1 Kings iv, 12; but it is an error. See Jokmeam. 

Jok'tan, (Map 1,) small, a Hebrew Shemite, the progenitor of thirteen 
nations in Arabia, whither his tribe emigrated before Abraham's time, Gen. 
x, 25; 1 Chron. i, 19; Gen. x, 26-30. The Arabs call their progenitor 
Kachtan (=Joktan.) They unanimously pronounce the Joktan Arabs the 
true aborigines of Arabia, who occupied the southern peninsula, and pos- 
sessed Yemen and Arabia Eelix. In Yemen, south of Mecca, on the Red 
Sea, there is a district still called Kachtan, in which Edrisi, the early Ara 
bian geographer, locates a town called Beischat-Jaktan. Even the sepulchei 
of Joktan is still pointed out near Keschin. Northern Arabs are thought 
of less pure Arab blood, the Ishmaelites excepted. "Were the tribes of 
Arabia better known, the tribes mentioned in Gen. x, 26-29, might still be 
found there, for their different clans set great store upon keeping distinct. 

Jok'theel, subdued of God. 

1. A town of Judah, situated in tire plain of Philistia, (Shephelah,) and 
apparently not far distant from Lachish, Josh, xv, 38. Not identified. 

2. The name given by Amaziah, King of Judah, to Selah, a stronghold 
of Edom, to show that he had captured it, 2 Kings xiv, 7 ; 2 Chron. xxv, 
11-13. The date of this victory was about B. C. 830. This stronghold, or 
cliff, is asserted by Eusebius to be a " city of Edom, also called by the As- 
syrians Rekem," by which undoubtedly he intends the city of Petra, which 
see. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 2±9 

Jop'pa, (Map 5.) Some derive this name from the Hebrew, signifying 
beautiful; others from Japhet, the son of Noah ; classic authors from "Iopa." 
the daughter of ^Eolus. Some interpret it as " the watch-tower of joy," 
perhaps from its lofty situation. In Josh, xix, 46, it is Japho. In the 
Apocrypha it has the form Joppe. 1 Esdras v, 55, etc. 

Joppa was one of the most ancient and important sea-port towns of Pales- 
tine, situated on the Mediterranean coast, about thirty geographical miles 
from Jerusalem, and nearly midway between G-aza and the promontory of 
Carmel. It was on a hill so high, says Strabo, that people affirmed (but in- 
correctly) that Jerusalem was visible from its summit. Having a harbor — 
though always a dangerous one — it became the port of Jerusalem when Jeru- 
salem became the metropolis of the kingdom of the house of David ; and 
certainly never did port and metropolis more strikingly resemble each other 
in difficulty of approach both by sea and land. Hence, except in journeys 
to and from Jerusalem, it was not much used. 

The first mention of Japho is in the description given by Joshua of the 
boundaries of Dan, of which it was one of the marks, Josh, xix, 46. We 
hear of it no more till the time of Solomon. By that king, probably, Joppa 
was made the port of the Jewish capital, and the western outlet of its trade, 
as Ezion-Geber was the eastern. The cedar and pine wood from Mount 
Lebanon was landed by the servants of Hiram, King of Tyre, at Joppa, 
whence it was carried to Jerusalem for the great temple, 2 Chron. ii, 16. 
Also by the same port materials from Lebanon were, by permission of Cyrus, 
conveyed for the rebuilding of the second temple under Zerubbabel, 1 Kings 
v, 9; Ezra iii, 17. At Joppa Jonah embarked for Tarshish, in attempting to 
escape a mission to Nineveh, Jonah i, 3. During the captivity the situation 
of the city and its commercial importance seem to have saved it from ruin. 

After the close of Old Testament history Joppa rose in importance. It 
being the only port in Palestine proper at which foreign ships could touch, 
it was not only the shipping capital, but the key of the whole country and 
the sea-board. During the Maccabean wars it was one of the principal 
strongholds of Palestine, 1 Mace, x, 75 ; xiv, 5, 34. It would seem that 
Jews then constituted only a minority of the population, and the foreign 
residents — Greeks, Egyptians, and Syrians — were so rich and powerful, and 
so aided by the Meets of their own nations, as to be able to rule the city. 
On one occasion they enticed two hundred Jews on board ships and threw 
them into the sea. Eor this cruelty Judas Maccabeus attacked the town by 
night, and burned all the shipping, with every human being on board, 
2 Mace, xii, 3-7. The Maccabean princes subsequently strengthened the 
fortifications, placed a garrison in the citadel, and retained Joppa in their 
hands as the chief port of their little kingdom, 1 Mace, xii, 34; xiii, 11; 
xiv, 5. Joppa was among the first cities captured by the invading Romans, 
B C. 63, when it was annexed to the Roman province of Syria. Afterward 
C?esar gave Joppa (with other cities) to Herod the Great. After Herod's 
death, the city passed into the hands of Archelaus ; but on his deposition, in 
A. D. 6, the whole of Palestine was annexed to the Roman province of Syria, 
and placed under the immediate rule of a deputy. 

In the apostles' time Joppa had a mixed population of Greeks, Syrians, 
Phoenicians, and Egyptians, with a few Roman officials, and a large Jewish 
community. When Peter visited Lydda, ten miles distant, the Christians 
of Joppa sent for him, hoping that he could raise the dead Tabitha. He 



250 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

came and raised her, and, while staying there with " one Simon a tanner, 
whose house was by the sea-side," and while praying on the house-top, he 
had that remarkable vision which showed him that the distinction between 
Jew and Gentile was forever removed by the Gospel, Acts ix, 36-43 ; x, 9-18. 
Joppa had its history in the time of the Crusades ; it is said to have been 
the see of a Christian bishop. 

The modern name of the city is Jo/a, or Jaffa. Its population is esti 
mated variously at from four thousand to fifteen thousand. Mr. Portei 
saj-s it contains "about five thousand inhabitants, of whom one thousand 
are Christians, about one hundred and fifty Jews, and the rest Moslems." 
The little rounded hill on which the city stands is encompassed on the land 
side by orchards of orange, lemon, apricot, and other trees, which for luxu- 
riance and beauty are not surpassed in the world. They extend for several 
miles across the plain. The houses are huddled together without order, the 
streets are narrow, crooked, and filthy ; the town is so crowded along the 
steep sides of the hill that the rickety dwellings in the upper part seem to 
be toppling over on the flat roofs of those below. Very few remains of an- 
tiquity are found, except a few broken columns scattered about the streets, 
and through the gardens on the southern slope of the hill, and the large 
stones in the foundations of the castle. The monks pretend to show the 
"house of Simon the tanner." M. Clermont-Ganneau has discovered near Ja fta a 
tomb of the first century, containing inscriptions which reproduce Bible names. 
The harbor and landing are miserable, yet the town has still considerable trade 
as the port of Jerusalem, and its fruits are considered the best in Syria. 
Among its population are fugitives and vagabonds from all countries. 

Jop'pe, 1 Esdras v, 55 ; 1 Mace, x, 75, 76. See Joppa. 

Jordan, (Map 5,) flowing down, or the descender, the great river of Pales- 
tine. This celebrated stream is " without any parallel, historical or physical, 
in the whole world." 

The first Scripture notice of the Jordan occurs in the story of the separa- 
tion of Abraham and Lot, " before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomor- 
rah." The sacred writer tells us that " all the plain of Jordan" was "well 
watered every-where ... as the garden of the Lord," Gen. xiii, 10. At the 
destruction of the " cities of the plain " some great physical change must 
have been produced in the valley of the Jordan, Gen. xix. 

Another great epoch in the Jordan's history was the passage of the 
Israelites after their forty years' wandering ; Josh, iii ; iv ; v, 1 ; Psa. 
cxiv, 3. It was in harvest-time — the beginning of April — when the rains 
were still falling heavily in Hermon, and the winter snows were melting 
under the rays of the warm sun, and when a thousand mountain torrents 
thus fed swept into the Jordan, and made it "overflow all its banks; " or, 
as the Hebrew literally signifies, made it " full up to all its banks." Doubt- 
less the Jordan rose higher anciently than now. Thus the circumstances 
undyr which the crossing occurred rendered the miracle the greater, and the 
power of God more striking. The "overflow" of Jordan is noticed also in 
Jer. xii, 5 ; 1 Chron. xii, 15. 

The Jordan was also crossed by Jacob, Gen. xxxii, 10; by Gideon, Judg. 
vih, 4; by the Ammonites, Judg. x, 9 ; by Abne**, 2 Sam. ii, 29; by David, 
2 Sam. xvii, 22; xix, 15, 31; 1 Chron. xix, 17; by Absalom, 2 Sam. xvii, 24; 
by Elijah, 2 Kings ii, 6-8; by Elisha, 2 Kings ii, 14. There were various 
"fords" of the Jordan, see Josh, ii, 1 ; Judg. iii, 2H; vii, 24; xii, 5, G. Jere- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 251 

miah speaks of lions coming up from "the swelling of Jordan," Jer. xlix, 19. 
The original literally signifies "pride," "beauty," or 'glory," and refers to 
the dense jungles and verdant foliage of the banks; these jungles are 
impenetrable except to the wild beasts that dwell there. In 2 King3 
vi, 2-7, is mention of the miracle by which iron was made to swim in the 
Jordan. 

Naaman was cured of his leprosy in the waters of the Jordan after his 
indignant depreciation of this river as compared with the rivers of Damascus. 
" The rivers of Damascus water its great plain, converting a desert into a 
paradise ; the Jordan rolls on in its deep, deep bed, useless, to the Sea of 
Death." — Porter. 

This river was the scene in later times of John's baptism, when there 
" went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about 
Jordan," Matt, iii, 5, 8; Mark i, 5; John i, 28. But the great event of the 
New Testament history enacted at Jordan was the baptism of our Lord 
himself, thus making this the " queen of rivers," the " sacred river." In 
commemoration of this baptism the Christian pilgrims who assemble at 
Jerusalem at Easter visit the Jordan in a body and bathe at the spot which 
tradition has rendered sacred. The exact locality where our Lord was bap- 
tized cannot be determined, but it would seem that the baptism took place 
toward the mouth of the river, in the confines of Judea. An interesting 
account of these pilgrim bathers is given by Stanley in Sinai and Palestine, 
pp. 308-310. 

The sources of the Jordan are on the slopes of Anti-Libanus. The principal 
of these are (1) the Hasbd?iy, which rises in the great Fountain of Fuarr, 
near Hashbeiya ; (2) the Baniasy, which bursts just outside a cave at Bdnids ; 
(3) the Leddan, from the west base of a hill (Tell el-Kady) on which stood 
ancient Dan; (4) the Esh-shar. Of these "the Hasbdny is longest by forty 
miles ; the Leddan is much the largest, and the Baniasy the most beautiful." — 
TJwmson. Various eminent travelers have investigated the sources and 
course of this great river ; but the most thorough and valuable exploration 
of the sources is that made in 1869 by Mr. J. Macgregor, M. A. Speaking 
of the Hasbdny source, Macgregor (The Rob Roy on the Jordan, pp. 195-203) 
says : " Young Jordan is like the prettiest tiny stream in Scotland, with 
white hollowed rocks and weird caverns ; but the gravel is prettier here than 
in my own land, pebbles of yellow and bright blue, banked in by fruitful 
loam of a deep rich red, and all so silent and unaffected. So it winds until 
steeper rocks gird the water, narrowing where wild beasts' paws have 
marked the sand. Farther down a bold cliff dips into a pool of deepest green. 
Here I launched the ' Rob Roy,' certainly the first boat that ever floated on 
the pool. The few natives round us stopped in wonder, sitting — that is their 
posture for lost astonishment. They assured us this pool of Fuarr is 1,000 
feet deep, and, being entirely unapproachable for sounding from the cliff 
overhead, imagination has full sway to fancy it fathomless. The cold mat- 
ter-of-fact sounding-line stopped short at eleven feet. I was astonished at 
the illusion, for the water here looked any depth you please. Of course the 
people did not believe my word for it, but nevertheless it is a sturdy fact 
that less than two fathoms measures this abyss. . . . Just opposite the cliff, 
and a few yards away, is a three- cornered island of sand and small gravel, 
with many low bushes on it, and luxuriant spotted clover, and under and 
from out these there bubbles, gurgies, and ascends the first undoubted sub. 



252 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

terranean source of the Jordan. There are about twenty of these curi- 
ous fountains on this islet, and the water runs from them in all directions. 
That which pours out toward the north runs a few feet up the stream, being 
at first a foot higher in level. The island and the rocks near it are formed 
into a weir, for the terribly practical purpose of supplying a mill. Perish 
all the mills and millstones that spoil the birthplace of such a stream ! . . . 
"Camp struck and all things packed, we floated the canoe again just 
below the falls, to begin our descent of the river. In front was the bridge, 
with two pointed arches of eighteen feet span. . . . The stream was swift and 
shallow here, but it occupied only one arch of the bridge. . . . The river ber.ds 
below the bridge with all the waywardness of a trout stream in the Highlands. 
Thick trees hang over its clear surging waters, and reeds fill the bays twenty 
feet high ; while rocks, and a thousand hanging, straggling creepers on them, 
tangle together over silent pools. "Who had seen these before the Rob Roy ? 
It can scarcely be supposed that any other boat had been here, from which 
a man could look upon these earliest beauties of the hallowed stream." 
After a heavy fall of rain, this adventurer returned to the waterfall and 
found that the current had doubled in force and volume. Then he visited 
the curious bitumen pits found in the vicinity. " The people live beside 
them in very simple huts, and they go down fifty feet into the earth to fill 
baskets with the black shining treasure which ' grows,' they say, however 
much they may dig." The Esh S/iar is only a minor tributary one or two 
yards broad. The Leddan source issues from Tell el Kady, " from the deeps 
of the earth in a noble spring said to be the largest single source in the 
world." Of this hidden source, which defies every effort to enter its retreat, 
Macgregor goes on to soy that one "can just hear the smothered mur- 
muring of pent-up secret waters; and on the west side of the embankment, 
beneath a mass of fig-trees, reeds, and strongest creepers, the water issues 
free into the day, filling up to the brim the circular basin a hundred feet 
wide. Here the new-born Jordan turns and bubbles, and seems to breathe 
for a while in the light, and then it dashes off at once a river, with a noisy 
burst, but soon it hides its foam and waves in another thicket, and then its 
loud rushing is shrouded in darkness as it hurries away to the mysterious 
plain. . . . They told me this pool also was bottomless. . . . Behold the 
abyss of the Dan source of Jordan — it is only five feet deep 1 " — P. 217. 
About an hour's ride from Tell el-Kady eastward is the most interesting 
source of the Jordan — at Banias. Of this the same author remarks : " The 
head of all is in front of a steep-faced cliff about eighty feet high, of white 
and pink stone, much scathed by weather and cut about by man. ... A 
lofty and wide cavern opens deep in the rock, and just in front of this, out- 
side, but apparently from at least the level of the cavern's present floor, a 
copious flood of sparkling water wells up and forward through rough shingle, 
and in a few yards it hides its noisy dashings in a dense jungle." — P. 226. 
The Hasbany and the Banias unite near the spot marked by Van de Velde 
as Tell Sheikh Yusuf, " the Mount of the Lord Joseph," and thus it is here that 
the Jordan is for the first time really formed. Each river at their confluence 
seems to be about seventy feet wide and seven or eight feet deep. Here the 
united stream is about one hundred feet broad. Its banks are perfectly steep, 
and are from twelve to twenty feet high. After a short distance the stream 
encounters a marsh, with which the banks are level. Here much of the riv- 
er's volume is lost by flooding aside into branches, while the main stream 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 255 

turns and twists exceedingly, and becomes very narrc w. At this point the 
river forks out into six different channels. Of these the canoeist says, 
" Every one was hopelessly bad, and . . . the Rob Roy became firmly en- 
tangled in a maze of bushes eight feet high." Leaving this impassable spot, 
Macgregor, by a circuitous route, passed southward to the north end of Lake 
Huleh, (Heroin,) to find the Jordan as it enters the lake. The result was 
"the complete and novel discovery of the hitherto unknown channel of 
Jordan." Eminent geographers have stated that the Jordan enters Lake 
Huleh " close to the eastern end of the upper side." But Macgregor's more 
sure mode of investigation as a canoeist has determined that the channel 
enters the lake nearly midway on the northern shore. The mouth of the 
Jordan "here is one hundred feet wide, and it is entirely concealed from 
both shores by a bend it makes to the east. The river thus enters the lake 
at the end of a promontory of papyrus. . . . Once round the corner, and 
entering the actual river, it is a wonderful sight indeed, as the graceful 
channel winds in ample sweeps or long straight reaches in perfect repose 
and loneliness, with a soft, silent beauty all its own." — Ibid., p. 288. Pro- 
ceeding northward, Rob Roy " entered a beautiful little lake. . . . The gen- 
eral contour of it was round, but the edges were curved into deep bays, with 
dark alleys and bright projecting corners, and islets dotted the middle. . . . 
The breadth of this east and west was estimated at half a mile." — P. 293. 
After the most careful inspection Macgregor was convinced that this lake is 
" the earliest flow of the Jordan as one river" after it dives into the barrier 
whither he had traced it a few days before. The north end of this lake he 
computes at less than three miles and a half from the mouth of the chanueL 
He estimates the breadth of the barrier above noted at about half a mile. 
Lake Huleh was sounded by this indomitable boatman in every direction, and 
it shows an average depth (in the winter time) of about eleven feet. In one 
place it was seventeen feet deep, but in no part of the lake did he find three 
fathoms of water. Leaving Lake Huleh at its southern extremity, the Jordan 
runs on with the very rapid descent of about seven hundred feet in the next 
ten miles, when it empties into the sea of Galilee. Plowing out from the south - 
ern end of this sea, the stream descends with great speed, more rapidly in 
some places than in others, until it is lost in the Dead Sea. From the Has- 
bany source to the Dead Sea the direct distance is about 120 miles; but v the 
crooked line of the Jordan is about 200 miles. The source at Hasbeiya " is 
1,700 feet above the Mediterranean, and the Dead Sea is 1,300 feet below 
the Mediterranean ; so that the total fall of Jordan is 3,000 feet, which would 
be 15 feet per mile of its channel, or 25 feet per mile of its direct distance." — 
Bob Boy, p. 316. See Salt Sea. See also a view of the Jordan line on 
page 354. The velocity of the current is retarded by the number of rapids. 
Says Lieut. Lynch: "We have plunged down twenty-seven threatening 
rapids, besides a great many of lesser magnitude." The river varies in width 
from eighty to one hundred and fifty feet, and in depth from five to twelve 
feet. At its mouth it is one hundred and eighty feet wide, and three feet 
deep. There are two sets of banks, or " terraces," through the lower of which 
the river flows. " From the stream, above the immediate banks, there is on 
each side a singular terrace of low hills, like truncated cones, which is the bluff 
terminus of an extended table-land reaching quite to the base of the mountains 
of the Hauran on the east, and the high hills on the western side." — Lynch. 
The present Arab name of Jordan is Esh-Sheriah, (the watering place,) 



256 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

with tne added appellation El-Kebir, (the great.) The eloquent \* ords of 
Maegregor concerning this queen of rivers will be read with interest : 

" Jordan is the sacred stream not only of the Jew, who has ' Moses and 
the prophets ; ' of the Christian, who treasures the memories of his Master's 
life upon earth ; of the cast-out Ishmaelite, who has dipped his wandering 
bloody foot in this river since the days of Hagar ; but of the Moslem faithful 
also, wide scattered over the world, who deeply reverence the Jordan. No 
other river's name is known so long ago and so far away as this, which 
calls up a host of past memories from the Mohammedan on the plains of 
India, from the latest Christian settler in the Rocky Mountains of America, 
and from the Jew in every part of the globe. Nor is it only of the past that 
the name of Jordan tells, for in the more thoughtful hours of not a few they 
hear it whispering to them before strange shadowy truths of that future, 
happier land that lies over the stream of death." — The Bob Boy and the Jor- 
dan, p. 212. 

Jot'bah, goodness, pleasantness, the residence of Haruz, the father of Me- 
shullemeth, queen of Manasseh, and mother of Anion, King of Judah, 2 Bangs 
xxi, 19. Probably it is the same with the following: 

Jot'bath and Jot'bathah, (Map 2,) goodness, pleasantness, a station of 
Israel in the wilderness, described as " a land of torrents of waters." Num. 
xxxiii, 33 ; Deut. x, 7. On the western side of the Arabah there are several 
spots where the wadys converge, and one of these is probably the locality 
indicated. 

Ju'da, a Greek form of Judah, Matt, ii, 6, etc. For the Juda of Luke i, 39 ; 
see Juttah. 

Judae'a and Jude'a, (Map 5,) the Greek form of Judah, though with a 
larger signification ; the province rather than the mere tribe. Ezra employs 
the Chaldee word Yeh&d to denote the whole country in which the Jews 
settled after the return from captivity, Ezra v, 1, and he calls it the "prov- 
ince of Judea," v, 8. Daniel uses the word in the same sense, to denote the 
land of the Jews generally, Dan. ii, 25 ; v, 13, where it is rendered in the 
A. V. both Judah and Jewry. In Arabic the word Yeh&d is applied exclu- 
sively to the Jews as a people. As applied to the country, this term derived 
its name from the imperial tribe of Judah ; and it seems to have comprised 
the territory occupied by those who returned from Babylon, the mass of 
these exiles having been of the tribe or of the kingdom of Judah, as dis- 
tinguished from Israel. It is true that the remnants of many other tribes 
returned also. Thus the sacrifices were for the twelve, Ezra vi, 17 ; viii, 35 ; 
and we have special mention of Ephraim and Manasseh, 1 Chron. ix, 3 ; of 
Benjamin and the Levites, Ezra i, 5 ; and of others whose pedigrees were lost, 
ii, 59, 60. We know also that so multifarious were those that came back 
that it is said, "all Israel dwelt in their cities," (70,) and that later in the 
sacred history the descent of individuals not of Judah is specified, Luke 
ii, 36 ; yet as Jerusalem was now again the general metropolis, it was natural 
that the name of the great tribe which settled around it should prevail above 
the rest. And, indeed, before the captivity the kings of Judah seem to have 
recovered in a measure their authority over the rest of the land. 2 Kings 
xxiii, 19, 20; 2 Chron. xxxiv, 6, 7, 9. In the Apocrypha "Judea" or "the 
country of Judea " frequently occurs ; for example, 1 Esdr. iv, 45 ; vi, 8 ; Tobit 
i, 18, though the distinctive name of Israel is by no means abandoned, 1 Mace, 
i, 20, 25 ; vi, 18, 21. After the disgrace of Archelaus, Judea was attached 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 257 

to the Roman province of Syria ; the procurator, subordinate to ihe governor 
of Syria, residing at Csesarea. Before the commencement ot our era Pales- 
tine was divided into three distinct provinces — Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, 
John iv, 3-5. Judea lay on the south, and extended from the Joruan and 
Dead Sea on the east to the Mediterranean on the west ; and from about the 
parallel of Shiloh on the north, to the wilderness in the south ; and also 
included, apparently, a strip of coast running as far north as Ptolemais. This 
was the province usually meant by the term Judea in the N. T., Luke v, 17; 
Matt, iv, 25 ; John iv, 47, 54 ; but sometimes the word is used in a wider 
flense. Thus in Luke i, 5, Herod is called King of Judea ; that is, the general 
name Judea is given to his whole kingdom, which included all Palestine both 
east and west of the Jordan. The trans-Jordanic provinces are referred to 
as belonging to Judea in Matt, xix, 1 ; Mark x, 1 ; Luke xxiii, 5. Josephus 
says that part of Idumea was embraced in Judea. The southern part of 
Palestine, between Hebron, Beersheba, and Gaza, was then called Idumea, 
and thus formed part of the proper province of Judea. 

The " hill-country " of Judea (Luke i, 66) embraced the crown of the mount- 
ain ridge around Jerusalem and southward. This was the native country 
of the Baptist, Luke i, 39. The "Wilderness of Judea," or, emphatically, 
" The "Wilderness," as it is termed, Matt, iv, 1, is that wild and desolate 
region along the whole eastern slope of the mountains, from the brow of the 
ridge at Bethany, Bethlehem, and Tekoa, down to the shore of the Dead Sea. 

In the time of Christ that section of Judea which formed the scene of a 
part of our Lord's teachings, labors, and sufferings was a land of vineyards, 
olive groves, and fig orchards, which flourished luxuriantly in the deep glens 
and along the terraced sides of the limestone hills. But now the glory and 
the beauty of the land are departed. Here and there is a deep glen bordered 
with belts of olives, and its banks above are green with the foliage of the oak, but 
the noble forests are gone ; the vegetation that resulted from careful irriga- 
tion is gone, the terraces that supported the soil on the hill-sides are broken, 
and, instead of spreading vine and fig-tree, we have now naked rocks and 
confused heaps of stones. One may wander for miles together without seeing 
a vestige of present habitation, save the little goat-pen on the hill-side, and 
the groups of sheep and goats round the fountains ; but there is scarcely a 
hill-top that is not crowned with ruins, and there is scarcely a fountain 
where fragments of walls and scattered heaps of stones do not indicate the 
sites of former dwellings. 

Ju'dah, (Map h,) praised, celebrated, a tribe of the children of Israel named 
from the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. At the first census of the tribe in 
the wilderness they numbered 74,600 adult males, being 11,900 more 
than the largest of the other tribes, Num. i, 26, 27 ; ii, 4. Judah always 
had the foremost place, the post of honor, on the east of the tabernacle, and 
was chief of the first of the four grand divisions of the host, leading the van 
while marching, Num. ii, 3, 9 ; x, 14. In the second census in the plain Gf 
Moab Judah had multiplied to 76,500, Num. xxvi, 19-22. Moses's blessing 
on the tribe is recorded in Deut. xxxiii, 7. 

Judah was the first tribe which received its allotted possessions west of 
the Jordan, and this territory included fully one third of the whole land ; 
but only about one third of the inheritance was available for actual settle- 
ment. Joshua, in the fifteenth chapter, gives the boundaries and the princi- 
pal towns of Judah. Its eastern boundary was the Dead Sea and the 



258 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Arabah, and its western the Mediterranean Sea. On the north the border ran 
from the mouth of -the Jordan, by Jericho, Jerusalem, Kirjath-jearini, Beth- 
Shemesh, Ekron, and Jabneel, to the coast. The southern border cannot now 
be so accurately defined, because the region through which it ran is to a 
great extent unexplored, and the sites of the places named are unknown. 
It is said to begin at " the shore of the Salt Sea, and from the bay that looks 
southward ; " but it is clear from what follows that the line ran due south 
from that point, through the Arabah, as far as Kadesh-Barnea, (35 miles,) 
where it turned westward, and extended, apparently in nearly a straight line, 
to the river of Egypt, now Wady-el-Arish, 50 miles south-west from Gaza. 
The country thus defined was sixty-five miles long, and averaged about fifty in 
breadth. On the east, extending along the Dead Sea and the Arabah from 
north to south, was "the Wilderness," Josh, xv, 6, averaging fifteen miles in 
breadth, a wild, barren, uninhabitable region. Different sections of it were 
called by different names, as "Wilderness of Engedi," 1 Sam. xxiv, 1 ; 
"Wilderness of Judah," Judg. i, 16; Wilderness of Maon," 1 Sam. xxiii, 24. 
On the west of Judah's allotted territory was the Plain of Philistia, called 
the Shephelah, or " low country," in the Bible, Josh, xv, 33, etc. It extended 
from Joppa to Gaza, and embraced the whole of that noble plain which 
constituted far the richest portion of the land. But the people of Judah not 
being able to withstand the war chariots of the Philistines in the open plain, 
the Shephelah was thus worse than useless to the tribe. They never com- 
pletely conquered it. The real possessions of Judah, therefore, consisted 
only of the central mountain range, the hill country, with its terraced slopes 
and peaks, all clothed in the rich foliage of the vine, and its long winding 
glens, running down between rocky ridges into the Shephelah, their sides 
covered with olives and figs, and their winter brooks running through corn- 
fields below, and its southern declivities, breaking into undulating downs 
and broad steppes of pasture-land, out toward Beersheba. A portion of 
Judah's territory was afterward taken for Simeon ; perhaps not a compact 
district, but certain cities with their villages " within the inheritance " of 
Judah. Josh, xix, 1-9. Dan, too, got a section of the very best of the western 
declivities. (Compare verses 40-48.) 

But the position and power of Judah were greatly strengthened by this 
division of its territory, for Dan defended Judah from the Philistines, and 
Simeon from the Edomites. Joshua captured some of the towns in the hill 
country, and, at first, some portions of the Shephelah, Josh, x, 28-35, 38-40 ; 
xi, 21; and after his death Judah and Simeon together destroyed the chief 
Philistine cities and sacked Jerusalem, Judg. i, 1-20. 

During the rule of the Judges the tribe of Judah was mainly occupied in 
completing the conquest of the territory. A few strongholds in the mount- 
ains still remained in the hands of the Oanaanites; these they took, and they 
also made a successful expedition into Philistia, capturing Gaza, Askelon, 
and Ekron, though they were unable to establish permanent settlements 
there. In all these expeditions they were aided by Simeon, Judg. i. Ju- 
dah maintained an independent spirit toward the other tribes ; and while 
they acquiesced in the Benjamite Saul's appointment as king, it could hardly 
have been with a very good grace, as may be inferred from the very small 
contingent they supplied to that monarch's army when proceeding against 
Amalek, 1 Sam. xv, 4. Gladly, therefore, did they embrace the opportunity 
of Saul's death to anoint their own tribesman, David, king in Hebron; 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 259 

and for some years they maintained a separate monarchy, 2 Sam, ii, 1-11. 
When the nation was reunited under David's scepter, the haughty men of 
Judah thought little of and cared little for the rest of the trites, 2 Sam. 
xix, 40-48 ; xx, 2,4; an omen of the entire separation which occurred after 
Solomon's death. 

In anointing David king, Judah had no consultation with the other tribes; 
this was the first step toward an independent kingdom. Ephraim was the 
rival of Judah, and was the only tribe which showed any disposition to dis- 
pute its supremacy. The sanctuary, so long at Ephraimite Shiloh, was now 
transferred to Jerusalem, locally Benjamite, but actually appropriated by the 
house of Judah. Thus Judah exulted, and Ephraim was proportionately 
dissatisfied. Probably the division of Israel into two kingdoms may thus be 
traced to the rivalry of these powerful tribes. When tlie kingdom was 
divided under Rehoboam and Jeroboam the history of Judah as a tribe 
lapsed into that of Judah as a kingdom. See Map 14. To the kingdom of 
Judah adhered the single tribe of Benjamin, 1 Kings xii, 16, 17, 19, 21. The 
remaining ten tribes constituted the kingdom of Israel. Rehoboam fortified 
fifteen cities, not as a result of strength, but as a mark of weakness, 2 Chron. 
xi, 5-11. By his foolish disobedience the king provoked the anger of the 
Lord, and Shishak, king of Egypt, swept like a storm from the desert over 
his dominions, plundered Jerusalem, carried off the wealth of the temple, 
and left the king of Judah humiliated and impoverished, 2 Chron. xii, 1-10. 

Judah in the first three reigns was generally in an attitude of hostility to 
Isiael. Rehoboam had, indeed, been checked, 2 Chron. xi, 1-4; but Jero- 
boam had been defeated by Abijah in a great battle, 2 Chron. xiii. Asa was 
successful against an Ethiopian host, 2 Chron. xiv; and the kingdom was 
populous and prosperous. Jehoshaphat's reign was happy and successful, 
2 Chron. xvii ; xix ; xx ; but he made the mistake of forming an alliance with 
the wicked king of Israel, Ahab, by taking Ahab's daughter for a wife to 
his son, 1 Kings xxii; 2 Chron. xviii. A series of calamities followed. 
Weak and wicked princes sat on the throne. Edom revolted, and the royal 
family were almost extirpated. Athaliah (Ahab's daughter) usurped the 
crown ; and when the right heir was restored, he ruled justly only so long 
as the priest Jehoiada lived, and then saw his kingdom desolated, and was 
slain by conspirators, 2 Chron. xxi-xxiv. Under the reign of Amaziah, Jeru- 
salem was taken and plundered by the king of Israel, Jehoash, 2 Chron. xxv. 
The power of Judah now rapidly declined. If the decline was stayed for 
awhile by the early prudence of Uzziah, by the efforts of the godly Hezekiah, 
and the reforms of the lamented Josiah, it went on with accelerated pace 
under the rule of the headstrong Ahaz, the ferocious Manasseh, and Josiah'a 
miserable children, 2 Chron. xxvi-xxxvi. Syria became confederated with 
Israel to destroy Judah. And then a mightier power stepped forward: 
Assyria, which was gradually absorbing all the neighboring States. The 
kingdom of Israel fell. And though Judah seems to have had some author- 
ity afterward over the country of the ten tribes, it could have been only dele- 
gated. Her king was only a vassal to a foreign power. She was dependent 
now on Egypt, now on Babylon. Finally the country was ravaged by the 
king of Babylon ; Jerusalem was burnt with fire, and the holy temple of 
the Lord, where his glory had dwelt, was laid in ashes; and then Judah 
was no more, 2 Kings xxiv, xxv; Jer. xxxix-xli. For subsequent events 
see Jerusalem. 



260 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Ju'dah, the City of. 2 Chron. xxv, 28. Probably the " city of David " 
at Jerusalem. 

Ju'dah upon Jor'dan. Josh, xix, 34. Possibly a corruption of some 
other name. See Naphtali. 

Jut'tah, extended, an ancient town in the mountains of Judah, mentioned 
in the group with Maon and Carmel, Josh, xv, 55. It was allotted to the 
priests, xxi, 16. Reland conjectures that the Juda of Luke i, 39, in which 
Zacharias resided, may be identical with Juttah. Por this there is no evi- 
dence. See Juda. Juttah is doubtless identical with Yutta, a large village 
situated on the declivity of a hill about five miles south of Hebron. 

Kab'zeel, God gathers, a city of Judah, the first named in the enumera- 
tion of those next to Edom, and apparently further south, Josh, xv, 21. Il 
was the native place of the hero Benaiah-ben-Jehoiada, 2 Sam. xxiii, 20 ; 
1 Chron. xi, 22. There is a Jekabzeel mentioned by Nehemiah among the 
villages of Judah re-occupied after the captivity, which is considered identical 
with this place, Neh. xi, 25. Mr. Wilton (The Negeb, pp. 69-72) would place 
it at 'Ain el-Arus, at the confluence of the Wady el-Kuseib and other streams 
in the Sabkhah. But this lacks confirmation. 

Ka'des, the Greek form of Kadesh, Judith i, 9. 

Ka'desh, (Map 2,) sacred; or Ka'desh-Bar'nea, probably .sacred places, or 
deserts. Originally the name of this place was En-Mishpat, (fountain of judg- 
ment,) Gen. xiv, 7. It is probably also the Kedesh of Josh, xv, 23. Kadesh 
was a station of the Israelites, and the only station called a city, Num. xx, 16. 
It lay on the southern border of Canaan, Num. xxxiv, 4 ; Josh, x, 41, in the 
desert of Zin, Num. xx, 1; xxvii, 14; xxxiii, 36; Deut. xxxii, 51, on the 
border of Edom, Num. xx, 16. The term Kadesh, though applied to signify 
a " city," yet had also a wider application to a region in which Kadesh-Mer- 
ibah certainly, and Kadesh-Barnea probably, indicate a precise spot. See 
Gen. xx, 1. 

The first notice of Kadesh occurs in the story of the capture of Sodom by 
the eastern kings, Gen. xiv. It continued to be a place of note during the 
whole period of the patriarchs, Gen. xvi, 14 ; xx, 1. Prom Kadesh Moses 
sent the spies to traverse the land of Canaan ; and thither they returned, 
bringing an evil report of it, Num. xiii, 3, 26; xxxii, 8. Then from Kadesh 
the Israelites were compelled to turn back disheartened to the desert again. 
After an interval of thirty-eight years' wandering they again returned to 
Kadesh, Num. xiv, 29-33 ; Deut. i, 40 ; ii, 14. There Miriam died, Num. xx, 1. 
It was at Kadesh, too, that the waters of Meribah flowed when the children 
of Israel, toward the end of their wanderings, strove with the Lord, and 
Moses and Aaron did not sanctify him, and were consequently excluded 
from the promised land, Num. xx, 1, 13. The Israelites were unquestion- 
ably twice at Kadesh, remaining there on each occasion for a considerable 
length of time. They came about July of the second year of the Exodus, and 
again about the same time of the fortieth year, Num. xii, 16 ; xiii, 26 ; xx, 1, 
etc. As to the site of Kadesh, very great diversity of opinion exists among the 
best authorities. Some affirm that Kadesh and Kadesh-Barnea are different 
places. Of those who consider that there is but one place, Mr. Rowlands, 
followed by Mr. Williams and Professor Tuch, places the site of Kadesh in 
the midst of the Desert of Tih, about forty-five miles south of Beersheha, 
Raumer places it at Ain Hasb i in the Arabah, twenty miles south of the 




^^S^i^^^^S^^^S^^^ESi^OT^^Sw&^a^ 




G.vy. 4 C.B COLTCN t C9 NEW VOBK 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 2G7 

Dead Sea ; Stanley at Petra ; Robmson and Porter at 'Ain el- Weiteh, north- 
west of Petra. Delitzch locates it at Kadus, between Hebron and the south- 
ern end of the Dead Sea. Professor E. H. Palmer, with strong arguments, 
claims that Kadesh must be identified with 'Ain Gadis, as originally sug- 
gested by Mr. Rowlands. (See Map 2.) 'Ain Gadis is in meanng and ety- 
mology identical with Kadesh. Kadesh is the most important site in the 
whole region indicated, as it forms the key to the movements of the Israel- 
ites during their many years' wanderings in the great Desert of Et-Tih. 
(See Desert of the Exodus.) 

Kad'monites, eastern, or orientals, one of the tribes which inhabited the 
country given in covenant promise to Abraham, Gen. xv, 19. Perhaps they 
comprise the nations generally, "children of the East," who extended from 
Canaan to the Euphrates. See Gen. xxix, 1; Judg. vi, 3. 

Kanah, a reed, or place of reeds. 

1. A town in the territory of Asher, near Zidon, Josh, xix, 28. It is not 
clearly identified. Dr. Robinson, Mr. Porter, and some others propose as 
the site the modern village of Kdna, which is six miles inland, not from 
Zidon, but from Tyre, nearly twenty miles south thereof. It has about 
three hundred families, with no traces of ruins. About one mile north of it 
are very considerable ruins ; and in a ravine near by are some singular fig- 
ures of men, women, and children sculptured on the face of the rocks. But 
Mr. Grove (in Smith's Dictionary) says: u An Ain Kana is marked in the 
map of Van de Velde, about eight miles south-east of Saida, (Zidon,) close to 
the conspicuous village Jurjua, at which latter place Zidon lies full in view. 
This at least answers more nearly the requirements of the text. But it is 
put forward as a mere conjecture." 

2. A torrent which divided Ephraim from Manasseh, Josh, xvi, 8 ; xvii, 9. 
Dr. Robinson identifies it with a Wady Kanah which rises in the plain of 
Mukhna, south of Nablus, and runs south-west till it joins Nahr el-Avjeh, and 
falls into the sea about four miles north of Joppa. But this seems much too 
far south. Mr. Porter proposes the Nahr el-Akhdar, which flows into the sea 
about two miles south of the ruins of CVesarea. Mr. Grove inclines to agree 
with the conjecture of Schwartz, that Kanah is a wady which commences west 
of and close to Nablus at Ain el-Khassab, and falls into the sea at Nahr 
Falaik, and which bears also the name of Wady el-Khassab — the reedy 
stream. The name Khassab is borne by a large tract of the maritime plain 
at this part. See Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, and Clark's Bible Atlas. 

Kar'kaa or Karka a, a foundation, bottom, floor, a place on the southern 
border of Judah, situated on the high table-land west o f Kadesh-Barnea, 
Josh, xv, 3. It is not again mentioned, and the site is unknown. 

Kar'kor, foundation, level ground, a place on the east side of Jordan to 
which Zeba and Zalmunna fled with their army when defeated by Gideon, 
■Judg viii, 10. It was doubtless somewhere on the level plateau of tho 
Mishor, near the eastern border of Moab. The site is unknown 

Kar'naim. See Ashteroth-Karnaim. 

Kar'tah, city, a city of Zebulun, assigned to the Merarite Levites together 
with Jokneam, Josh, xxi, 34. Van de Velde {Memoir, p. 327) suggests that 
it may be identical with el-Harti, a village with traces of antiquity on the 
banks of the Kishon at the base of Carmel, and only a few miles north-west 
of tho site of Jokneam. The names, however, are radically different. 

Kar'tan, two towns, double city, one of the three cities assigned to the 



268 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Levites out of the tribe of Naphtali, Josh, xxi, 32. It is probably the same 
with Kirjathaim, 1 Chron. vi, 76. Nothing is known of its history or site. 

Kat'tath, small, a town of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 15. Some suggest that this 
town is the same as Kitron, Judg. i, 30 ; but there is no evidence for this. 
The site of Kattath is unknown. 

Kedar, (Map 12,) black, black-sltinned, an Arabian tribe descended from 
Kedar, one of the sons of Ishmael, Gen. xxv, 13-16. They inhabited the 
north of Arabia east of the Holy Land. The tents of all the nomad tribes 
of Arabia are black, and the color of their skin is uniformly of a light bronze 
hue. Some think their name was given them because of the color of their 
tents ; others because of the darkness of their complexion. As to their com- 
plexion, the name Kedar was no more applicable to one tribe than another. 
The "children of Kedar" (Isa. xxi, 17) are more frequently spoken of in 
Scripture than any of the other Arab tribes. They dwelt chiefly in tents, 
though some occupied cities and villages. They were rich in flocks, and 
they were also celebrated as warriors, 1 Chron. i, 29 ; Psa. cxx, 5 ; Sol. Song 
i, 5; Isa. xxi, 16, 17; xlii, 11; xlix, 28; lx, 7; Jer. ii, 10; Ezek. xxvii, 21. 
A very ancient Arab tradition states that Kedar settled in the Hedjaz, the 
country round Mecca and Medina, and that his descendants have ever since 
ruled there. It is a remarkable fact that at the present time the inhabitants 
of the Hedjaz are composed of the powerful and warlike tribe called Beni 
Harb, " children of war," some of whom live in villages and towns, but most 
of them in tents. They are still rich in flocks and herds, and they still dwell 
in safety among their native hills, as did their forefathers, Jer. xlix, 31, 32. 
See also in this the fulfillment of the promise concerning Ishmael, Gen. 
xvi, 12. 

Ked'emoth, antiquities, or perhaps eastern, a city on the eastern side of 
Moab, near Arnon, encircled by a "wilderness" or "pasture-land" of the 
same name, Deut. ii, 24-26. It was allotted to Reuben and the Me ra rite 
Levites, Josh, xiii, 18; 1 Chron. vi, 79. This district has not been explored. 

Kedesh, (Map 5,) sanctuary. 

1. A town on the south-eastern border of Judah, near the confines of 
Edom, Josh, xv, 23. Possibly identical with Kadesii, (Kadesh-Barnea,) 
which see. 

2. A royal Canaanite city taken by Joshua, (Josh, xii, 22,) in Issachar, 
and allotted to Gershonite Levites, 1 Chron. vi, 72. In Josh, xxi, 28, it is 
called Kishon. See Kishion. 

3. Kedesh, Josh, xix, 37, called also Kedesh in Galilee, Josh, xxi, 32 ; and, 
in Judg. iv, 6, Kedesh-Naphtali. An ancient Canaanitish town allotted to 
the tribe of Naphtali, and subsequently assigned to the Gershonite Levites, 
and made one of the three cities of refuge west of the Jordan, Josh, xxi, 32. 
It seems to have been a "sanctuary" of the old Canaanites; and the Israel- 
ites, while they retained the name denoting its character, made it in some 
respect their sanctuary also. It was " the holy place of Naphtali," and the 
asylum of all northern Palestine. Barak lived there, and there he assem- 
bled his army, Judg. iv, 6, 9. Heber the Kenite resided there, Judg. iv, 11. 
It was captured by Tiglatli-Pileser, and its inhabitants carried away to As- 
syria, 2 Kings xv, 29. In 1 Mace, xi, 63, (as Cades,) it is reckoned a town 
of Galilee. Josephus speaks of Kedesh as situated on the confines of the 
country of Tyre in Upper Galilee. Dr. Robinson has doubtless identified 
the site of this town at Kedes, a village situated on the western edge of the 



BIBLE GEOGKAPHY. 



269 



basin of the Ard-el-Euleh, the great depressed basin or tract through which 
the Jordan makes its way into the Sea of Merom. Kedes is ten English miles 
north of Safed, and four to the north-west of the upper part of the Sea of 
Merom. The site is a splendid one, well watered and surrounded by fertile 
plains. There are numerous sarcophagi and other aocient remains. 

Ke'dron. See Kidron. 

Kehel'athah, (Map 2,) assembly, a desert encampment of the Israelites, 
Num. xxxiii, 22, between Sinai and Kadesh. Its history is unknown. 

Kei'lah, fortress, a city of Judah, situated in the Shephelah or plain of 
Philistia, near Mareshah and Nezib, Josh, xv, 33, 44. It was besieged by 
the Philistines, and relieved by David, I Sam. xxiii, 1-5. David and his six 
hundred settled for a time in the town, but when threatened by an attack 
from Saul he discovered that the ungrateful inhabitants were resolved to 
betray him, so " David and his men . . . arose and departed out of Ke ; iah," 
verses 6-13. Keilah was re-occupied after the captivity, Neh. hi, 17, 18. Id 
1 Chron. iv, 1 9, it is not clear whether a person or a place is meant. Keilah 
is doubtless identical with Kila, a large ruined tower or castle on a project- 
ing cliff eight miles from Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) on the way to Hebron, 
and in the neighborhood of Beit Nusib (Nezib) and Maresa, (Mareshah.) 

Ke'nath, (Map 4,) jwssession,- a strong city of Bashan, in the province of 
Argob, Num. xxxii, 42 ; 1 Chron. ii, 23 ; compare Deut. iii, 14. It appears 
to have been one of the " threescore great cities, fenced with high walls, 
gates, and bars," which Jair captured, Deut. iii, 3, 4. Nobah, a Manassite, 
headed a separate expedition against Kenath, took it, and called it Nobah, 
Num. xxxii, 42. From the chronology of Judg. viii, 11, it would appear that 
it retained this last name at least two hundred years. Eusebius speaks of 
Kanatha as " a village of Arabia . . . near Bozra." Its site is doubtless 
that of the modern Kenawat, a ruined town at the southern extremity of the 
Lejah, about twenty miles north of Busrah. The ruins cover a space about 
one mile long by half a mile wide. Mr. Porter says that days may be spent 
in sketching, exploring, and copying inscriptions. Some of the ruins are 
among the most splendid of the Haurdn. 

Ke'naz, hunting, Gen. xxxvi, 11; 1 Chron. i, 36, 53. One of the dukes 
of Edom, whose descendants are probably represented in the modern Arab 
tribe, the Aenezes, who extend from the Euphrates to Syria, and from 
Aleppo to the mountains of Nejd. They are said to be able to bring ninety 
thousand camel riders into the field, and ten thousand horsemen. 

Ken'ezite, or Ken'izzite, hunter, an Edomitish tribe whose land was 
promised to Abraham. Gen. xv, 19. They probably inhabited some part of 
the Arabian desert on the confines of Syria, to which the expeditions of 
Joshua did not reach In Num. xxxii, 12; Josh, xiv, 6, 14, the term is 
a patronymic of Caleb, derived from Kenaz, mentioned in Judg. i, 13. 

Ken'ite, Ken'ites, smiths, or dwellers in a nest, a tribe who originally 
inhabited the rocky and desert region lying between southern Palestine 
and the mountains of Sinai, adjoining — and even partly intermingling 
with — the Amalekites, Num. xxiv, 21; 1 Sam. xv, 6. Their land was 
promised to Abraham. Gen. xv, 19. Jethro was a Kenite, Judg. i, 16; and 
it was when Moses kept his flocks on Horeb that the Lord appeared to 
him in a burning bush, Exod. iii, 1, 2. Jethro is also said to have been 
"priest of Midian," and a " Midianite," Num. x, 29; hence we conclude 
that the Midianites and Kenites were identical. The Midianites were de- 



270 BIBLE GEOGKAPHY. 

Bcended from Abraham's son by Keturah, while we may fairly infer that 
the Kenites were a branch of the larger nation of Midian. The Kenites 
were very friendly to the Israelites. They seem to have accompanied the 
Hebrews in their wanderings. At any rate they were with them on their 
entrance into the Promised Land. Their encampment was within Balaam's 
view when he delivered his prophecy, Num. xxiv, 21, 22, and we may infer 
that they assisted in the capture of Jericho, the "city of palm-trees," Judg. 
i, 16; compare 2 Chron. xxviii, 15. Some of their descendants were also 
found in the north of Palestine, Judg. iv, 11. "When Saul marched against 
the Amalekites he carefully avoided any injury to the Kenites, 1 Sam. xv, 6. 
David maintained the same friendly relations with them, 1 Sam. xxx, 29. 
The house of the Rechabites was of this tribe, traced to the original ancestor, 
Hemath, 1 Chron. ii, 55. 
Ke'rioth, (Map 5,) cities. 

1. A town in the south of Judah. Some have supposed this the birth- 
place of Judas Iscariot. Probably Kerioth-Hezron is one name, Josh. 
xv, 25. See Hezron. The site of Kerioth is possibly identical with Kurye- 
tein, (" the two cities,") a ruin about ten miles south of Hebron, and three 
from Main, (Maon.) 

2. A city of Moab mentioned by Jeremiah in connection with Beth-Gamul 
and Bozrah, Jer. xlviii, 24. It is also called Kirioth, Amos ii, 2. But 
perhaps in this last passage, and in Jer. xlviii, 41, the word is not a proper 
name, and should be translated "the cities." Ancient interpreters appear 
to give no clue to the position of this place ; but Mr. Porter identifies it 
with Eureiyeh, a ruined town of some extent lying between Busrah and 
Sulkhad, in the southern part of the Haw an. Mr. Grove thinks a more 
plausible identification would be Kureiyat, at the western foot of Jebel Attarus, 
and but a short distance from either Dibon, Beth-Meon, or Heshbon. 

Ke'zis, Yalley of, valley of the end, or, perhaps, of destruction, (from a 
root signifying "to cut off",") a place mentioned among the cities of Benjamin, 
Josh, xviii, 21. The name does not re-appear in the 0. T., but it is possibly 
intended under the corrupted form Beth-Basi in 1 Mace, ix, 62, 64. Some 
conclude that the Hebrew Emek (valley) should not be here translated 
as Beth (house) is not translated in the preceding proper name. Therefore 
the name of the town would be Emek-Eeziz, as it is rendered in the Sep- 
tuagint. It must have stood in the Jordan valley, near Jericho. 

Kib'roth-Hatta'avah, (Map 2,) graves of lust, or longing, a station of the 
Israelites in the wilderness. Here the people, craviDg flesh to eat, mur- 
mured. The Lord sent them vast numbers of quails, and "while the flesh 
was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, . . . the Lord smote the 
people with a very great plague," and many were there buried, Num. xi, 
31-35; xxxiii, 16, 11; Dent, ix, 22. Professor E. H. Palmer identifies this 
station with Erweis el Ebeirig, not far from 'Ain lludherah, (Hazeroth.) 
Here he found many " inclosures of stone." Arab tradition declares these 
to be relics of a huge pilgrim caravan that was afterward lost in the desert. 

Kib'zaim, or Kibza'im, two heaps, a city of Ephraim assigned to the 
Levites, Josh, xxi, 22. In 1 Chron. vi, 68, Jokmeam is probably another 
name for this place. The site is unknown. 

Ki'dron, (Map 7,) turbid. The Hebrew word nachal is in the Old Testa- 
ment, with one single exception, (2 Kings xxiii, 4 — the "fields of Kidron,") 
attached to the name of Kidron. This term nachal appears to be exactly 





THE MONASTERY OF MAR SABA — GORGE OF THE KIDRON. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



273 



equivalent to the Arabic wady, which signifies a vaMey, or ravine, eitiier 
with or without a river. Some derive Kidron from the root signifying " to be 
black," but the cause of this name is not assigned. Possibly it may arise 
from the gloominess of the glen, or from the turbid stream ; or from the 
blood and refuse of the temple running into it. Others think it was so 
called from cedar-trees which grew in it. In John xviii, 1, it is Cedron. 
Kidron is a valley and torrent between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, 

1 Kings ii, 37 ; Neh. ii, 15; Jer. xxxi, 40. This mountain ravine is in most 
places narrow, with precipitous banks of limestone ; but here and there its 
banks have an easy slope, and along its bottom are strips of land capable 
of cultivation. When fleeing from Absalom David crossed the Kidron, 

2 Sam. xv, 23. In Kidron idols were destroyed and burned by Asa, Josiali, 
and the Levites, 1 Kings xv, 13; 2 Kings xxiii, 6, 12; 2 Chron. xxix, 16. 
-See also 2 Kings xi, 16. The source of the Kidron was sealed by Hezekiah, 
2 Chron. xxxii, 4. Jesus crossed this valley on that memorable night of the 
agony in Gethsemane, John xviii, 1. 




TOMBS IN THE VALLEY OF THE KIDRON. 

In reference to the passage in 2 Chron. xxxii, 4, Mr. Grove (in Smith's 
Dictionary) inclines to think that the Kidron was "the brook that ran through 
the midst of the land," the spring-head of which Hezekiah stopped so effect- 
ually that the ancient bed has since been generally dry. 

This ravine is now known as Wady Sitti-Maryam, and the Valley op 
Jehoshaphat, (which see.) Mr. Porter describes the head of the Kidrou as 
in a slight depression on the broad summit of the mountain ridge of Judea, 
a mile and a quarter north-west of Jerusalem. The sides of the depression 
and the elevated ground around it are whitened by the broad jagged topa 
of limestone rocks, and almost every rock is excavated, partly as a quarry, 

13 



274 BIBLE GEOGEAPHY. 

and partly to form the facade of a tomb. The valley, or depression, runs 
for about half a mile toward the city; it is shallow and broad, dotted with 
corn-fields, and sprinkled with a few old olives. It then bends eastward, 
and in another half-mile is crossed by the great northern road coming down 
from the hill Scopus. On the east side of the road, and south bank of the 
Kidron, are the celebrated Tombs of the Kings. The bed of the valley is here 
about half a mile due north of the city gate. As it advances southward the 
right bank, forming the side of the hill Bezetha, becomes higher and steeper, 
with occasional precipices of rock, on which may be seen a few fragments 
of the city wall ; while on the left the base of Olivet projects, greatly nar- 
rowing the valley. Opposite St. Stephen's gate the depth is fully one hun- 
dred feet, and the breadth not more than four hundred feet. Soon the 
KMron becomes narrower still, and traces of a torrent bed first begin to 
appear. Further down, three hundred yards, the hills on each side rise pre- 
cipitously from this torrent bed, which is here spanned by a single arch. The 
ravine continues, narrow and rugged, five hundred yards more, to the Fountain 
of the Virgin, situated in a deep cave to the right. The village of Silwan, 
the ancient Siloam, is now seen on the left, its houses clinging to the cliff. 
About four hundred yards below the fountain the Tyropceon comes in on 
the right, descending in graceful terraced slopes, fresh and green, from the 
waters of the " Pool of Siloam." The valley is now wider, affording a lovel 
tract for cultivation. Here of old were the " King's Gardens," (Neh. hi, 15,) 
extending down to the mouth of Hinnom ; and about a hundred yards below 
this point is the Well of Joab, the ancient En-Rogel, Josh, xv, 7. The total 
length of the Kidron from its head to this fountain is two and three quarter 
miles. From hence it runs in a winding course through scenery of the wildest 
character, past the convent of St. Saba, where it is called Wady er-Rdheb, 
the " Monk's Valley." Mar Saba is one of the most remarkable buildings 
in Palestine, founded A.D. 439 by the saint whose name it bears. The name 
" Monk's Valley " was given to this part of Kidron, doubtless, because of the 
many caves and grottoes in the sides of the chasm, both above and below the 
convent, which were once the abode of monks and hermits. Below the 
convent Kidron takes the name Wady en-Nar, "the Valley of Fire," from 
its bare and scorched aspect, and it runs in a deep, narrow, wild chasm until 
it falls into the Dead Sea, not far from its north-west corner, about /ourteen 
miles from Jerusalem. 

Ki'nah, lamentation, or song of mourning, a place mentioned only in Josh, 
xv, 22, as on the southern border of Judah. Mr. Wilton, {The Negeb, 
pp. 74-76,) proposing an emendation of the text, reads Hazar-Kinah, "the 
Kenite inclosure," or "settlement," and identifies it with the ruined site 
el-Hudhairah, the main encampment of the Jehdlin, an Arabian tribe. (See 
Ayre.) Prof. Stanley (S. and P.) ingeniously connects Kiiiah with the 
Kenitos who settled in this district, Judges i, 16. These theories lack 
confirmation. 

King's Dale, Gen. xiv, 17 ; compare 2 Sara, xviii, 18. These two pas- 
sages of Scripture give us no information as to the position of the dale ; nor 
does any ancieut author locate it. It has been variously located — in the 
Valley of Jehoshaphat or Kidron, at Beersheba, at Lebanon, and near the 
Jordan. Mr. Porter, (Kitto, vol. ii, p. 45, ed. 1865,) showing that the original 
words signify a " plain " or " broad valley," and not a ravine, claims that in 
the immediate neighborhood of Jerusalem there is one place, and only one, 



BIBLE GEOGBAPHY. 275 

which appears to answer to these indications, and that is the Plain of Pephaim. 
It is on the direct route from the north to Hebron ; a practicable road leads 
down from it through the wilderness to the shore of the Dead Sea ; and it 
is so close to Jerusalem that Melchizedek from the heights of Zion could 
both see and hear the joyous meeting of the princes of Sodom with the vic- 
torious band of Abraham and the reclaimed captives. Mr. Stanley thinks 
the context shows that the place was somewhere near the Valley of the 
Jordan, probably on its eastern side, where the death of Absalom occurred, 
and where it would therefore be mentioned as a singular coincidence that he 
had ereeted his monument near the scene of his death. (See Sinai and Pal- 
estine, v 247.) 

Kir, a wall, a walled place, the place to which the inhabitants of Damascus 
were earned captive by the king of Assyria, 2 Kings xvi, 9 ; Amos i, 5. Kir 
is also namevi with Elam, Isa. xxii, 6 ; and the Syrians are said to have been 
brought from Kir, Amos ix, 7. A difference of opinion exists in regard to 
the position of Kir. Some suppose it to be identical with the Curna of 
Ptolemy, a city of Media on the river Mardus. Others think that Kir was a 
province or district along the banks of the river Cyrus, which is on the ex- 
treme northern frontier of ancient Assyria. Isaiah mentions Elam and Kir 
together, and hence Keil (on 2 Kings xvi, 9) thinks it more natural to iden- 
tify the latter with Curna of Media, or with Carinas, also a city of Media, 
now called Kerend. Mr. Porter (in Kitto) says: "It is now impossible satis- 
factorily to settle the question ; we cannot even state with certainty whether 
the Kir of 2 Kings is identical with that of Isaiah ; the latter may perhaps 
have been in Media near Elam, and the former on the banks of the Cyrus." 

Kir-Har'aseth, (Maps 4, 5, 13,) city ofthehill, 2 Kings iii, 25 ; Kir-Ha'resh, 
Isa. xvi, 11; Kir-Har'eseth, Isa. xvi, 7 ; and Kir-He'res, Jer. xlviii, 31, 36. 
A city and important fortress of Moab, called Kir of Moab in Isa. xv, 1. It is 
now Kerak, a town of about three thousand inhabitants. It stands on the top 
of a rocky hill about ten miles from the south-east corner of the Dead Sea, and 
near the southern frontier of Moab. The city was at one time strongly for- 
tified, and is still inclosed by a half-ruinous wall, flanked by seven massive 
towers. In the time of the Crusades it was an important place. On the 
western side of the town stands the citadel, a strong building, separated 
from the town by a deep moat hewn in the rock. It appears to have been 
built by the Crusaders. In 1869 a Semitic monument was discovered in 
this region, containing a very ancient Phoenician inscription concerning 
the deeds of a Moabitish king. See Dibon, (1.) 

Kiriatha'im, double city, a place in Moab, Jer. xlviii, 1, 28 ; Ezek. xxv, 9. 
See Kirjathaim. 

Kiriathia'rius. 1 Esdras v, 19 ; a corruption of Kirjath- Jearim. 

Kir'ioth, cities. Amos ii, 2. See Kerioth. 

Kirjath, city, a city of Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 28. Probably Kirjath- 
Jearim. 

Kirjathaim, double city. 

1. A city on the east of the Jordan in Reuben, Num. xxxii, 37 ; Josh, 
xiii, 19. In later times it was in the possession of the Moabites, Jer. xlviii, 
1, 23 ; Ezek. xxv, 9, in which places it is called Kiriathaim. It is possibly 
the modern Kureiyat, under the southern side of Jebel Attarus. 

2. A place in Naphtali, allotted to the Gershonite Levites, 1 Chron. vi, 76. 
Bee Kartan. 



276 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Kir'jath-Ar'ba, city of Aria, or, according to the Jews, city of four, be- 
cause Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were buried there. It was an early 
name of Hebron, Josh, xiv, 15; Judg. i, 10; Gen. xxiii, 2; xxxv, 27; Josh, 
xv, 13, 54 ; xx, 7 ; xxi, 11. In Neh. xi, 25, the name occurs without explan- 
ation. See Hebron. 

Kir'jath-A'rim, an abbreviation of Kirjath-Jearim, Ezra ii, 25. 

Kir'jath-Ba'al, city of Baal, another name for Kirjath-Jearim, Josh, xv, 60 ; 
xviii, 14. Also Baalah, and Baale-of-Judah. 

Kir'jath-Hu'zoth, probably city of streets, a city of Moab, Num. xxii, 39; 
perhaps regarded as a place of sanctity. It is not identified. 

Kir'jath-Je'arim, or Kirjath-Jea'rim, (Map 5,) city of woods. Called also 
Baalah, Josh, xv, 9, 10; Baale-of-Judah, 2 Sam. vi, 2; Kirjath-Baal, xviii, 14; 
Kirjath-Arim, Ezra ii, 25; Kiriathiarius, 1 Esdras v, 19. It was one of the 
four cities of the Gibeonites, Josh, ix, 17, on the north boundary of Judah, 
xv, 9; and the southern one of Benjamin, xviii, 14, 15. The ark was 
brought from Beth-Shemesh to this place, after it had been removed from the 
land of the Philistines, and here it remained till removed to Jerusalem by 
David, 1 Sam. vii; 1 Chron. xiii. It was the native place of the prophet 
Urijah, Jer. xxvi, 20; see also 1 Chron. ii, 50, 52, 53. This was also one of 
the ancient sites which were again inhabited after the exile, Ezra ii, 25 ; Neh. 
vii, 29. The term "wood" in Psa. cxxxii, 6, is perhaps an allusion to this 
city. The place is probably identical with Kuriet el-Endb, (city of grapes.) 
now usually know as Aba Gosh, (father of lies,) from the robber chief whose 
headquarters it was, at the eastern end of the Wady Aly on the road from Jaffa 
to Jerusalem. It is now a poor village, its finished buildings being an old 
convent and a Latin church. The latter is now deserted, but not in ruins, 
and is said to be one of the largest and most solidly constructed churches in 
Palestine. Some scholars locate Emmaus (Luke xxiv, 13-35) at this place. 
See Emmaus, (1.) 

Kir'jath-San'nah, palm city, another name for Debir, Josh, xv, 49. Called 
also Kirjath-Sepher. 

Kir'jath-Se'pher, book city, the early name of Debir, which had also the 
name of Kirjath-Sannah, Josh, xv, 15, 16; x, 38, 39; xi, 21; xii, 13; xxi, 15; 
1 Chron. vi, 58; Judg. i, 11, 12. This city has been considered by some as 
originally a seat of learning. It was taken by Othniel, for which he obtained 
Achsah, Caleb's daughter, in marriage. 

Kir of Moab, (Maps 4, 5.) fortress of Moab. Isa. xv, 1. See Kra- 
Haraseth. 

Kish'ion, hardness, a town of Issachar, apparently situated in the great 
plain of Esdraelon, where most of those with which it is grouped also stood, 
Josh, xix, 20. It was one of four allotted to the Levites, xxi, 28. In 
1 Chron. vi, 72, it is called Kedesh. Its site is unknown. 

Ki'shon, hardness, an incorrect form of Kishion, Josh, xxi, 28. 

Ki'shon, the River, (Map 5,) tortuous, winding stream, a noted river of 
Palestine, which drains nearly the whole plain of Esdraelon, and falls into 
the Mediterranean near the northern base of Mount Carmel. This stream 
was the scene of two of the grandest achievements of Israelitish history — 
the defeat of Sisera and the destruction of the prophets of Baal by Elijah, 
Judg. iv, 7, 13; v, 21 ; 1 Kings xviii, 40; Psa. Ixxxiii, 9 — here inaccurately 
" Kison." The Kishon has a vast number of little tributaries from the hills 
on the north and south sides of the plain. During the summer all the water- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 277 

courses are perfectly dry, but when the heavy rains of winter and early 
spring fall large torrents rush down from Tabor and the hills of Galilee, 
speedily filling the deep miry beds in the alluvial plain below, and rendering 
the passage of them both difficult and dangerous. This explains Judg. v, 
4, 20, 21. The modern name of Kishon is Nahr Mukutta, which some thiuk 
means " the river of slaughter." It may also signify "river of the ford." 

Ki'son, Psa. lxxxiii, 9, an incorrect rendering of Kishon. 

Kith'lish, probably a man's wall, a town of Judah, in the Shephelah or 
plain of Philistia, and grouped with Lachish and Eglon, Josh, xv, 33-10. 
Unknown. 

Kit'ron, knotty, a town of Zebulun from which the Canaanites were not 
expelled, Judg. i, 30. Perhaps it may be a corruption of Kattath, Josh. 
xix, 15. In the Talmud it is identified with Zippori, (Sepphoris,) now 
Sefurieh. 

Kit'tim. Gen. x, 4; 1 Chron. i, 7. See Chittim. 

Ko'a, stallion, he-camel, hence prince or nobleman, Ezek. xxiii, 23. It 
probably designates a city or district of Babylonia. 

Ko'hathites, See Levites. 

La'ban, white, one of the stations of the Israelites after crossing the Red 
Sea, Deut. i, 1. Some have regarded it as identical with Libnah, (Num. 
xxxiii, 20,) which was the second station from Hazeroth. But this is 
uncertain. 

Lacedaemo'nians, the inhabitants of Sparta or Lacedasmon, with whom 
the Jews claimed kindred, 1 Mace, xii, 2, 5, 6, 20, 21; xiv, 20, 23; xv, 23; 
2 Mace, v, 9. See Sparta. 

Lachish, (Map 5,) probably obstinate, tenacious, impregnable, an ancient 
royal city of the Canaanites, situated in the Shephelah or plain of Philistia, 
bordering on the mountains of Judah, Josh, xv, 33 ; and allotted, with Eglon 
and other places, to the tribe of Judah, xxxix. It was captured by Joshua, 
Josh, x, 3, 5, 23, 31-35 ; xii, 11. Fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 9. 
King Amaziah was killed there, 2 Kings xiv, 19; 2 Chron. xxv, 27. The 
city was besieged and probably taken by Sennacherib, 2 Kings xviii, 
13-17; xix, 8; 2 Chron. xxxii, 9; Isa. xxxvi, 2; xxxvii, 8. Lachish is men- 
tioned in Jer. xxxiv, 7 ; Micah i, 13 ; and it was inhabited after the return 
from Babylon, Neh. xi, 30. 

On the tablets and sculptures discovered by Mr. Layard rn the palace of 
Sennacherib at Nineveh, there is a description of the siege of Lachish. 
Above the king's head is the following inscription in cuneiform characters: 
" Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on 
the throne of judgment before, the city of Lachish — I give permission for 
its slaughter." Modern research presents this as one of the most important 
confirmations of Scripture history. 

Eusebius describes Lachish as in his day a village "seven miles distant 
from Eleutheropolis, southward as you go to Darom." Darom was a small 
province south of Gaza, near the coast. Between Gaza and Beit-Jibrin, and 
about eleven miles from the latter, are the ruins of the modern Um Ldkis. 
This name suggests the royal city of Lachish, and Mr. Porter says, "There 
can gcarcely be a doubt that in the desolate ruin of Um Ldkis we have all 
that remains of the Canaanitish city and Jewish stronghold." These ruins 
consist of heaps of stones and mounds of rubbish, with here and there a few 



278 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

broken fragments of marble and granite columns, strewn oyer a low hill in 
the midst of a great undulating plain. 

Ladder of Tyre, (Map 5,) a mountain north of Acre, rising immediately 
from the sea, 1 Mace, xi, 59. It is a natural barrier between Palestine and 
Phoenicia. In ancient times a road was carried, by a series of zigzags and 
staircases, over the summit, to connect the plain of Ptolemais with Tyre. 
It was the southern pass into Phoenicia proper. The road still remains, and 
is the only one along the coast. A short distance from it is a little village 
called NaMrah, and the pass is known as Rds en-Nakarah, " the excavated 
cape." 

Lahai -Roi, The Well, Gen. xxiv, 62 ; xxv, 11. See Beer-Lahai-Roi. 

Lah mam, provisions, a town of Judah situated in the Shephelah, and ap- 
parently not far from Eglon, Josh, xv, 40. Lahmas may be the true form 
of the word. The site is unknown. 

La'isa, 1 Mace, ix, 5. A place where Judas encamped. Possibly tho 
same as the Laish of lsa. x, 30, but very uncertain. 

La'ish, (Map 5,) strong, or a lion, Judg. xviii, 7, 14, 27, 29. In Josh, 
xix, 47, Leshem. The original name of the city of Dan. See Dan. 

Laish, (Hebrew, Laishah,) a lion, apparently a village of Benjamin, near 
Jerusalem, lsa. x, 30 ; possibly the same as Eleasa and Adasa. See Laisa. 

La kum, way-stopper, that is, a fortress, a town of Naphtali, near the 
Jordan, Josh, xix, 33. Unknown. 

Laodice'a, (Map 8.) There were six Greek cities by this name in Asia. 
The one mentioned in Scripture lay on the confines of Phrygia and Lydia, 
about forty miles east of Ephesus, on the small river Lycus. It was orig- 
inally called Diospolis, afterward Rhoas. Being rebuilt and beautified by 
Antiochus II., King of Syria, it was named after the king's wife, Laodice. 
Its trade was considerable. From Rev. iii, 17, we infer it to have been a 
place of great wealth. St. John delivered to Laodicea the fearful warning 
found in Rev. iii, 14-19. It is referred to in Col. iv, 13, 15, 16. We have 
good reason for believing that when, in writing from Rome to the Christians 
of Colossce, Paul sent a greeting to those of Laodicea, he had not personally 
visited either place. But the preaching of the Gospel at Ephesus (Acts 
xviii, 19) must inevitably have resulted in the formation of Churches in the 
neighboring cities, especially where Jews were settled, and there were Jews 
in Laodicea. Later this place became a Christian city of eminence, the see 
of a bishop, and a meeting-place of councils. The Mohammedan invaders 
destroyed it, and it is now a scene of utter desolation. Amid the ruins is a 
little village called by the Turks Eski-Hissar, (old castle.) The ruins indi- 
cate that the city was situated on six or seven hills, covering a large extent 
of ground. 

Lase'a, (Map 8,) a city of Crete "nigh" to Fair Havens, Acts xxvii, 8. 
Until recently the site of this town was altogether unknown. Rev. G. 
Brown discovered it in 1856. It lies about the middle of the southern coast 
of Crete, about five miles east of Fair Havens, and close to Cape Leonda. 
Masses of masonry are found along the beach. There are the ruins of two 
temples. Many shafts, and a few capitals of Grecian pillars, all of marble, 
lie scattered about, and a gully, worn by a torrent, lays bare the -substruc- 
tions down to the rock. The place still bears the ancient name. 

La'sha, fissv/re, a place which marked the utmost border of the ancient 
Oanaanites, Gen. x, 19. It probably lay east or north-east of the Cities of 



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fill 

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lisilt 







BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 281 

the Plain,, and consequently beyond the Dead Sea. It probably derives its 
name from the breaking forth of the hot springs which are believed to 
identify the place. 

Mr. Bevan says : " We can neither absolutely accept nor reject the opinion 
of Jerome and other writers who identify it with Callirhoe, a spot famous 
for hot springs near the eastern shore of the Dead Sea." There is no proof 
that a town ever existed at this point, yet remains of pottery, tikjs, and 
coins, show that there must have been some habitations, perhaps _br the 
accommodation of invalids resorting thither. According to Josephus, Herod, 
during his last illness, visited the springs of Callirhoe. The spot in question 
La situated in a narrow wild ravine, the scenery of which is very romantic. 

Lasha'ron, the plain, one of the Canaanitish towns whose kings were 
killed by Joshua, Josh, xii, 18. Some have supposed the place identical 
with the district of Sharon, but this is very doubtful. 

Lebanon, (Map 5.) Names. — In Hebrew prose it occurs constantly witr. 
the article, as in 1 Kings v, 20 ; in poetry sometimes with, sometimes with- 
out the article, as in Isa. xiv, 8, and Psa. xxix, 5, 6. In Greek, both in the 
Saptuagint and classic authors, the name is Libanus. Sometimes the Sep- 
tuagint has Anti-Libanus, the reason for which does not appear, Deut. i, 7 ; 
iii, 25; Josh, i, 4; ix, 1. The classic Latin name, as well as the reading of 
tlie Vulgate, is Libanus; Arab geographers call the range Jebel Libnan; but 
when the Syrians use the term (which is seldom) it refers to the western 
range. The northern section is called Jtbel Akkdr, the central Sunnin, and 
the southern Jebel ed-Druze. There are also other modern local names. In 
Josh, i, 4, (as elsewhere,) Lebanon includes both the eastern and western 
mountain ranges, while in Josh, xiii, 5, the eastern range is appropriately 
distinguished as " Lebanon toward the sun-rising." Latin writers always 
designate the eastern range by the name Anti-Libanus, which signifies oppo- 
site, or " over against Lebanon." The southern section of this range is 
known to the sacred writers as Hermon, (" the lofty peak.") The Sidonians 
called it Sirion; the Amorites Shenir, or Senir, (the glittering "breastplate" 
of ice,) and Sion, ("the upraised,") Deut. iii, 8, 9; iv, 48; Josh, xi, 17; 
xii, 1, 5; 1 Chron. v, 23; Sol. Song iv, 8; Ezek. xxvii, 5. Anti-Libanus is 
now called by native geographers Jebel esh-Shurky, " East Mountain," while 
Lebanon proper is sometimes termed Jebel el-Ghurby, " West Mountain." 

Lebanon signifies "white;" "the White Mountain" of Syria in ancient 
times; the mountain of the "Old White-Headed Man," or the "Mountain 
of Ice," in modern times. The term white is employed either because of the 
whitish limestone rock which composes the great body of the whole range, 
or, more probably, because snow covers the peaks most of the year. In 
Jer. xxviii, 14, mention is made of the " snow of Lebanon ; " and in the 
Chaldee paraphrase the name of Lebanon is " snow mountain," which is 
synonymous with a modern Arabic appellation sometimes used, Jebel eth~ 
Tlielj. The highest mountains in all parts of the world have a similar signi- 
fication. 

Situation. — The Bible represents Lebanon as lying on the northern 
border of the Promised Land, Deut. i, 7 ; iii, 25 ; xi, 24 ; Josh, i, 4 ; ix, 1 
The two distinct ranges both begin in latitude 33° 20', and run in parallel 
lines from south-west to north-east for about one hundred miles, with an 
average base breadth of about twenty miles. At the northernmost termina- 
tion of the chaiu the plain of Emesa opens out, which is " the entering in 




282 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of Hamath," so often mentioned as "the extreme limit, in this direction, of 
the widest possible inheritance of Israel," Num. xiii, 21; 2 Kings xiv, 25; 
2 Chron. vii, 8, etc. Between these two ranges is the long, narrow valley, 
from five to eight miles in width, caUed Code- Syria, (" Hollow Syria,") termed 
in Scripture "the Valley of Lebanon," Josh, ii, IT. The modern name is 
el-BuTca'a, "the valley." This is a northern prolongation of the Jordan 
valley, and a southern prolongation of that of the Orontes. 

Scriptural References. — Besides the above passages, which mainly 
refer to the name and situation, there are many 
other Bible allusions to this vast mountain range. 
Lebanon and its inhabitants, the Giblites and 
Hivites, were promised to Israel ; but a great 
part of the region was not conquered, Josh, 
xiii, 2-6 ; Judges hi, 1-4. In Deut. iii, 25, it is 
called "that goodly mountain," which Moses de- 
sired to see ; in Judges iii, 3, " Mount Lebanon ; " 
in 2 Chron. ii, 2, " the mountain ; " " the tower 
of Lebanon," Sol. Song vii, 4. This goodly mount- 
ain was famous for cedars, Psa. xxix, 5; xcii, 12; 
Isa. xiv, 8 ; for flowers, Nahum i, 4 ; for fragrance, 
Sol. Song iv, 11; Hosea xiv, 6; for wine, Hosea 
xiv, 7 ; for appearance, " the glory of Lebanon," Isa. xxxv, 2. Lebanon was 
covered with snow, Jer. xviii, 14; some of it was barren, Isa. xxix, 1*7 ; a 
place for wild beasts, for "lions' dens," "the mountains of the leopards," 
Isa. xl, 16 ; Heb. ii, 17 ; Sol. Song iv, 8. It was the source of many streams, 
Sol. Song iv, 15. The groves and forests of goodly cedar and fir on Leba- 
non, and also its stones, were the chosen material with which King Solomon 
built the royal palace and the splendid temple of the Holy City, 1 Kings v, 

5, 6, 8-10, 13-18; vii, 2-12. Solomon had "stores" in Lebanon, 1 Kings 
ix, 19. From the grand heights of this "tower of Lebanon" (Sol. Song 
vii, 4) the old Assyrian conquerors looked down upon the Holy Land, 
2 Kings xix, 23. When the second temple was built the people " gave 
money ... to bring cedar trees from Lebanon," Ezra iii, 7. The snows, 
the streams, the verdant forests, the richness and the grandeur of Lebanon, 
made it always to the Hebrews the emblem of wealth, of majesty, and of 
glory. See Psalm -lxxii, 16; cxxxiii, 3; Sol. Song v, 15; Isa. xxxv, 2; 
lx, 13 ; Hosea xiv, 5, 6. Compare also Isa. x, 33, 34 ; xxix, 17 ; Jer. xx, 

6, 23 ; Ezek. xxxi, 15. 

Present Aspect, Etc. — Dean Stanley says : " From the moment that 
the traveler reaches the plain of Shechem in the interior, nay, even from the 
depths of the Jordan valley by the Dead Sea, the snowy heights of Hermon 
are visible." — S. and P., page 395. Mr. Porter says that the view of Leba- 
non fr6m the Mediterranean is "exceedingly gra:ad," and that from the 
shores of Cyprus he saw its " glittering summits." — Hand-book for Syria and 
Palestine. " I have traveled in no part of the world where I have seen such 
a variety of glorious mountain scenes within so narrow a compass." — 
Van de Velde. The chief summits of Lebanon are, Sunnin, about 9,000 feet 
high, and Jebel Mzikhmd, nearly 10,200 feet, which is the highest peak in 
Syria. The average height of the chain is 6,000 to 8,000 feet. The loftiest 
peak of Anti-Libanus is Hermon, boldly rising 10,000 feet. The average 
hoight of this rango is about 5,000 feet. The valley of Coele-Syria is drained 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



283 



by the mer Litany, (or Leontes,) which has cut through Lebanon a most 
beautiful gorge. In the latter part of its course this stream passes through 
a wild chasm, whose banks in some places are more than a thousand feet 
high, "of naked rock, and almost perpendicular." "In wild grandeur this 
chasm has no equal in Syria, and few in the world." Anti-Lebanon is still 
a "well of living water," the four great rivers of Syria having here their 
source. The renowned cedars are found in a vast recess in the central ridge 
of Lebanon, about eight miles in diameter. They stand alone, with not 
another tree in sight, at an elevation of at least 6,000 feet above the Medi- 
terranean. "The grove is now scarcely half a mile in circuit, and contains 
about four hundred trees of all sizes, the young ones mostly on the outskirts, 
and the oldest in the center. Only a few, perhaps a dozen, very ancient 
trees remain. There are, however, thirty or forty others of very considera- 
ble dimensions, some of them three, four, and rive feet in diameter. One or 
two of the oldest are upward of forty feet in girth, but the trunks are short 
and irregular." — Hand-book, 1868. These trees grow less in number contin- 
ually ; and some travelers do not count so many as above stated. Dr. Thom- 
son says : " I counted four hundred and forty-three ; and this cannot be far 
from the true number." Cedars have been recently found also in other parts 
of the range. The 
western slopes of Leb- 
anon are very beauti- 
ful, with " evergreen 
oaks and pines clothing 
the mountain's side, 
while fig-trees, vines, 
mulberry and olive 
trees abound on ter- 
raced heights or in pic- 
turesque glens. Corn 
is cultivated in every 
possible nook ; villages 
nestle amid the cliffs; 
and convents crown 
the summits of well- 
nigh perpendicular 
rocks." — Ayre. Wild 
beasts are, as always, numerous in the recesses of the range. Fossils abound 
in the rocks. Iron and coal have also been found. Compare Deut. viii, 9; 
xxxiii, 25. In the northern parts the mountain is peopled with Maronite 
Christians, numbering about 150,000, whose chief occupation is in rearing 
the silk-worm. Druses occupy the southern parts, and between these tribes 
there have been serious outbreaks. Anti-Libanus is more barren and more 
thinly peopled than the western range. The ruins of this region are very 
extensive, and full of interest. One of the most reliable and earnest explorers 
tells us that he has visited more than thirty temples in Lebanon and Anti- 
Lebanon ; that " Greece itself cannot surpass in grandeur the temples of 
Ba'albek and Chalcis." (See Porter's Damascus.) The Pasha of Damascus 
holds this whole range under his authority. 

Leb'aoth, lionesses, a town on the southern border of Judah, Jcsh. xv. 32. 
See Bktu-Birei and Betii-Lebaoth. 




284 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Lebo'nah, (Map 5,) frankincense, a place mentioned in Judges xxi, 1 9 as 
a landmark to determine the position, of Shiloh, which lay south of it. 
About three miles west of Shiloh is the small village of Lubbd/i, which ia 
doubtless identical with Lebonah. Above its old gray houses are numbers 
of sepulchral caves, showing that it was a place of wealth and importance 
in the days of Israel's glory. 

Le'cah, a going, journey, a term mentioned in 1 Chron. iv, 21, apparently 
as the name of a town. It appears to have been near Mareshah, but nothing 
is known of ifc. 

Le'habim, or Leha'bim, flames, a Mizraite people, Gen. x, 13; 1 Chron, 
i, 11. They were probably identical with the ancient Lubim or Libyans, 
who perhaps first settled on the borders of the Nile, among or beside the 
Mizraim, but afterward occupied the vast territory known to classic geogra- 
phers as Libya. See Lubim. 

Le hi, cheek, or jaw-bone, a place in Judah, on the confines of Philistia, 
near the cliff Btam, where Samson slew a thousand Philistines with the jaw- 
bone of an ass, Judges xv, 9, 14, 19; in verse 19, "in the jaw" should be, 
" in Lehi." Samson having dispersed the Philistines, " cast away the jaw- 
bone, and called that place Ramath-Lehi," which may be rendered "the 
casting away of the jaw-bone." This place is probably named in 2 Sam. 
xxiii, 11, though in the A. V. rendered "in a troop." The site of Lehi is 
unknown, although several attempts have been made to identify it. 

Le'shem, & precious stone, perhaps opal or jacinth, a variation in the form 
of Laish, Josh, xix, 47. 

Letu'shim, (Map 12,) the hammered, sharpened, the name of the second of 
the sons of Dedan, son of Jokshan, Gen. xxv, 3. He founded a tribe who 
dwelt in Arabia east of Edom. 

Leum'mim, (Map 12,) peoples, the name of the third of the descendants of 
Dedan, son of Jokshan, Gen. xxv, 3. Ptolemy mentions a tribe in Arabia 
Felix called Allumceoti, which appears to be a corruption of the old Hebrew 
Leuramim with the Arabic article prefixed. In Arabia Deserta was a city 
called Lama, which possibly, may have been an ancient settlement of this tribe. 

Le'vites, (from Levi, a joining,) the descendants of the patriarch Levi. 
They were chosen by God (Num. iii, 6-13 ; xvi, 9 ; Deut. x, 8 ; 1 Chron. xv, 2) 
as a reward for their zeal, Exod. xxxii, 26-28 ; Deut. xxxiii, 9, 10 ; Mai. ii, 4, 5. 
They were taken instead of the children of Israel, Num. iii, 12, 41-45 ; 
viii, 14, 16-18; xviii, 6. The cattle of the Levites were taken instead of the 
firstlings of Israel, Num. iii, 41, 45. 

Moses was ordered to take the Levites from among the children of Israel 
and cleanse them by purification, Num. viii, 6, 7, 21; by sacrifices, Num. 
viii, 8, 12 ; by imposition of the elders' hands, and being presented to God 
as an offering by the high-priest for the people, Num. viii, 9-20. Their 
punishment for encroaching on the priestly office, Num iv, 19, 20; 
xvi, 1-35, 40 ; xviii, 3. They were governed by chiefs, 2 Chron. xxxv, 9 ; 
Ezra viii, 29 ; Neh. xi, 22. They entered upon their service at twenty-five 
years of age, Num. viii, 24 ; at twenty years, after David's time, 1 Chron. 
xxiii, 24, 27 ; Ezra iii, 8 ; upon full service at thirty years, Num. iv, 3, 30. 47 ; 
1 Chron. xxiii, 3 ; superannuated at fifty years, Num. iv, 47 ; viii, 25, 26. 
The tribe of Levi was composed of three great families, the Kohathites, 
the Gershonites, and the Merarites. The first were to have charge of the 
Wtcred vessels; the second, of the hangings and curtains of the Tabernacle; 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 285 

while the last had the care and custody of the boards and pillars thereof. 
Such division of work suited a movable camp, but it would not suit a set- 
tled nation. Hence Moses made other assignments of duty to the Levites. 
See Deut. xvii, 8-12 ; comp. xxvii, 14; xxxi, 9, 26. 

In the march of Israel the Levites were in the center, Num. ii, 17 ; they 
encamped round the tabernacle, Num. i, 50-53 ; iii, 23, 35. They lodged round 
the temple while in attendance, 1 Chron. ix, 27, 33 ; and the nightwatch em- 
ployed Psalm cxxxiv as a song. They were at liberty to reside and minister 
at the temple instead of in their cities, and provision was made for them, 
Deut. xviii, 6-8. 

The name Levite was used for a particular class, Ezra x, 23, 24; Neh. 
vii, 1, 73. The Levites led the exalted strain of praise after the captivity, 
Neh. ix, 6-38. Mention is made of them in the prophecies, Isa. lxvi, 21 ; 
Jer. xxxiii, 18; Ezek. xliv, 10-14; Mai. iii, 3. Brief mention is made of the 
Levites in the New Testament, Luke x, 32 ; John i, 19 ; Acts iv, 36. 

Lib' anus, the Greek form of Lebanon, Esdras iv, 48 ; v, 55 ; 2 Esdras 
xv, 20; Judith i, 7; Ecclus. xxiv, 13; 1, 12. 

Lib nan, (Map 2,) whiteness. 

1. A station of the Israelites in the desert, Num. xxxiii, 20. The site is 
unknown. 

2. A city in the lowlands of Judah, apparently between Makkedah and 
Lachish, which was one of the cities captured by Joshua after the defeat of 
the confederate kings at Gibeon, Josh, x, 29, 31, 32, 39; xii, 15; xv, 42. 
It was allotted to the priests, Josh, xxi, 13 ; 1 Chron. vi, 57. In the days of 
Bang Joram Libnah revolted, 2 Kings viii, 22; 2 Chron. xxi, 10. This - city 
was besieged by Sennacherib ; and it was while his army was encamped 
before it that the angel of the Lord smote of the Assyrians a hundred 
fourscore and five thousand, 2 Kings xix, 35 ; Isa. xxxvii, 8-36. Zedekiah's 
mother was of Libnah, Jer. Iii, 1. It is suggested by Van de Velde and others 
that Libnah may have stood on the conspicuous isolated hill called Arak cl- 
Menshleh, five miles west of Eteutherpolis, and on the direct route from Mak- 
kedah to Eglon. On this hill is a village with a few ruins. 

Lib'ya, (Map 1,) (Hebrew, Phut, affected, or perhaps a how,) the part of 
Africa north-west of Egypt, Jer. xlvi, 9 ; Ezek. xxxviii, 5 ; Acts ii, 10. Eor 
Libya of the O. T. see Phut; for Libya of the N. T. see Lubim. 

Libyans, Dan. xi, 43, inaccurately for Lubim. 

Lod, (Map 5,) strife (?) a town of Benjamin, 1 Chron. viii, 12 ; Ezra ii, 33 ; 
Neh. vii, 37 ; xi, 35. Now Lucid. See Lydda. 

Lo-De'bar, without pasture, a town of Gilead beyond Jordan, 2 Sam. ix, 5 ; 
xvii, 27. It was probably near Mahanaim ; possibly " of Debir," Josh, xiii, 26 , 
signifies Lodebar. The site is unknown. 

Lu'bim, and Lu'bims, dwellers in a scorched land, (in Dan. xi, 43, Libyans,) 
an African people named with Cushites and Sukkiim, 2 Chron. xii, 3 ; xvi, 8 ; 
Nahum iii, 9. They are probably the same as the Lehabim, (which see,) and 
located north-west of Egypt, the inhabitants of the great province of Libya. 
Early geographers used the name Libya in a somewhat vague sense, making 
it sometimes include all Africa, sometimes all except Egypt, and sometimes 
that region lying immediately on the west side of Egypt. The Greeks knew 
the boundaries of Egypt, and they gave the name Libya vaguely to the rest 
of the continent, just as they called the whole of Southern Syria, Palestine, 
from the Philistines. Herodotus classes the Ethiopians and Libyans together 



286 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

as do the sacred writers. In Acts ii, 10, Luke mentions some of those peo- 
ple as "dwellers in the parts of Libya about Cy re ne." See Cyrene; Phut. 

Lud, perhaps strife or inhabitants of the desert, a people in Asia Minoi 
called Ludi or Lydians, descended from a son of Shem named Lud, Gen. x, 22 • 
1 Chron. i, IV. Their original settlements were probably in Armenia, but 
they seem to have migrated westward and driven out the Mseonians, who 
inhabited the tract between the rivers Hermus and Maeander ; which was 
from this eastern race denominated Lydia. They were brave and warlike, 
and their service was sought by the Tyrians, Isa. lxvi, 19; Ezek. xxvii, 10. 
In Judith ii, 23, though the word is coupled with Phud, (that is, Phut,) the 
Lydians are probably meant. 

Lu'dim, (Map 12,) a people descended from Mizraim, the second son of 
Ham, Gen. x, 13 ; 1 Chron. i, 11. They are distinct from the Shemite tribe 
of Lud, which is noticed in the preceding article. The country of Ludim is 
not satisfactorily identified. This people seem to have been an African nation, 
and were probably settled in Lower Egypt, north of Memphis. They prob- 
ably retained, to some extent, a distinct name, and certain distinctive pecul- 
iarities in laws and mode of life, like the Maronites or Druzes in Northern Syria. 

Lu'hith, The Ascent of. Luhith signifies made of boards or posts. This 
place seems to have been some famous pass, either on the way up to Moab 
from the great valley of the Arabah, or across some of its deep and wild 
ravines, probably the latter, Isa. xv, 5 ; Jer. xlviii, 5. 

Luz, almond-tree or hazel? 

1. A town near to which Jacob rested and had a prophetic vision. It was 
close to or identical with Bethel, Gen. xxviii, 29 ; xxxv, 6 ; xlviii, 3 ; Josh, 
xvi, 2; xviii, 13; Judg. i, 23. See Bethel. 

2. A city in the "land of the Hittites," Judg. i, 26. It was built by the 
man who had betrayed the ancient Luz to the Ephraimites. There is much con- 
jecture concerning the locality both of Luz and the Hittites. Mr. Porter says, 
(in Kitto,) " The Hittites appear to have retired before the Israelites to 
Northern Syria and settled in the mountains and on the banks of the Orontes ; 
Probably Luz was situated somewhere in that region." 

Lycao'nia, (Map 8,) a province of Asia Miuor. Its length was about 
twenty geographical miles from east to west, and its breadth about thirteen. 
When visited by Paul it was a Roman province, Acts xiv, 6; xvi, 1-6; 
xviii, 23; xix, 1. Its chief towns were Iconium, the capital, Lystra, and 
Derbe. "The speech of the Lycaonians " (Acts xiv, 11) is supposed by 
some to have been the ancient Assyrian language, also spoken by the Cap- 
padocians; but it is more usually conceived to have been a corrupt Greek, 
intermingled with many Syriac words. 

Lycia, (Map 8,) a province in the south-west of Asia Minor, opposite tne 
island of Rhodes. Phrygia lay on the north, Pamphylia on the east, Caria 
on the west, and the Mediterranean on the south. Lycia is named in 1 Mace, 
xv, 23, as one of the countries to which the Roman Senate sent its missive in 
favor of the Jews. Two of the towns of Lycia are mentioned in the New 
Testament, Patara, Acts xxi, 1, 2; Myra, Acts xxvii, 5. The Lycians were a 
warlike people, powerful on the sea, and attached to their independence, which 
they successfully maintained against Crcesns, king of Lydia, and were afterward 
allowed by the Persians to retain their own kings as satraps. The victory of 
the Romans over Antiochus (B. C. 189) gave Lycia rank as a free state, 
which rank it maintained till the time of Claudius, when it was made a 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



289 



province of the Roman empire. At first it was combined with Pamphylia, 
but at a later period of the empire it was a separate province, with Myra for 
its capital. Curious and very ancient architectural remains have been found 
in this province, many specimens of which have been placed in the British 
Museum. 

Lydda, (Maps 5, 20,) the Greek form of Lod, which see. It was called by the 
Romans Diospolis. Lod was one of the ancient cities of Palestine, 1 Chron. 
viii, 12. It was twelve miles from Joppa, on the road to Jerusalem. The 
place was occupied again immediately after the captivity, Ezra ii, 33 ; Neh. 
viii, 37. About 145 B. C. the district of Lydda, with two others adjoining, 
was separated from Samaria and annexed to Judea. See 1 Mace, xi, 30-34. 
After the death of Julius C*esar, Cassius Longinus, who commanded in Pales- 
tine, sold the whole people of Lydda into slavery. Antony, however, a 
short time afterward set them at liberty and restored them to their homes. 
Its chief interest to us is in its New Testament history. Here it was that 
Peter wrought the great miracle of healing upon the paralytic Eneas, by 
reason of which great multitudes, both in Lydda and the neighborhood, were 
converted to the faith, Acts ix, 32-38. Under the Romans the city became 
wealthy, and it was a seat of Jewish learning. 

The modern name is Lucid. The village contains about one thousand m- 
nabitants. Although the houses are small and poor, and its lanes dirty, 
yet there is an air of thrift about the place not often seen in Palestine. It 
is said that St. George was born and buried here, and the traveler finds 
the remains of a splendid church dedicated to his memory. 

Lyd'ia, (Map 8,) a maritime province in the west of Asia Minor, 1 Mace, 
viii, 1 2. In Ezek. xxx, 5, it is incorrectly put for Lud, with which it has no 
connection. Lydia was the center of that dominion of which Croesus was 
the last king. In later times Antiochus the Great, King of Syria, was com- 
pelled by the Romans to yield it to Eumenes, King of Pergamos ; and after 
the death of Attains III. it came under the immediate authority of Rome, and 
was made part of the province of Asia. See Lud and Lupim. Eor its towns 
see Philadelphia, Sardis, Thyatira. 

Lyd'ians, an inaccurate rendering of Ludim, Jer. xlvi, 9. 

Lys'tra, (Map 8,) a city in Lycaonia, in Asia Minor, near to Derbe. Lys- 
tra and Derbe stood on the great road leading from Cilicia to Iconium. 
When Paul and Barnabas were persecuted at Iconium "they fled unto Lys- 
tra and Derbe, and unto the region that lieth round about," Acts xiv, 6. At 
Lystra Paul healed a cripple; and this occurrence produced such an impres- 
sion on the superstitious people that they offered divine honors to the apos- 
tles, Acts xiv, 8-16. Here also Paul was stoned and left for dead, verse 19. 
On his recovery he withdrew with Barnabas to Derbe, but soon retraced his 
steps through Lystra, encouraging the new disciples to be steadfast, verses 
20. 21. Lystra was the home of Timotheus, 1 Tim. iii, 10, 11. 

This city is mentioned by Strabo and Ptolemy, but its position is not 
defined. Yet there are strong reasons for identifying its site with the ruins 
called Bin-bir-Kilissi, (the thousand and one churches,) on the eastern declivity 
of a lofty mountain south-east from Iconium. Here are the remains of a 
great number of churches. ' 

Ma'acah, oppression, a small kingdom east of Argob and Bnshan, Deut. 
iii, 14 ; Josh, xii, 5 ; 2 Sam. x, G, 8 ; called also Maachah and Syria-Maachah, 



290 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

1 Chron. xix, 6, 7. The people were descended from Nahor, Gen. xxii, 24. 
It is not clear whether any connection subsisted between this kingdom and 
Abel-Beth-Maachah. 

Maach'athi and Maach'athites, the people of the preceding place, Deut. 
ui, 14; Josh, xii, 5; xiii, 11, 13; 2 Sam. xxiii, 34; 2 Kings xxv, 23; 1 Chron. 
iv, 19 ; Jer. xl, 8. 

Maal'eh-Acrab'bim, the ascent of scorpions \ Josh, xv, 3. See Akrabbim. 

Ma'arath, a naked or open place, a town in the highlands of Judah, Josh. 
xv, 58. Lieut. Conder identifies it (1875) with an ancient site south of Beit 
Ain'um (Beth Anoth.) 

Mac'alon, 1 Esdras v, 21, a corruption of Michmash, Ezra ii, 27. 

Mac'cabees, The, (Map 15,) from Maccabeus, which probably signifies a 
hammer. This was the surname of Judas, the son of Mattathias, who 
gave his name to the heroic family of which he was one of the noblest repre- 
sentatives, 1 Mace, ii, 4. The Maccabees were also called Asmonasans or 
Hasmonaeans, doubtless from Chasmon, the great-grandfather of Mattathias ; 
but some derive the term from a Hebrew word signifying fat. that is, nobles 
or princes, Psa. lxviii, 31. The title Maccabees was also applied to the 
Palestinian martyrs in the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, and even to 
the Alexandrine Jews who suffered for their faith at an earlier period. 

In the general persecution of the Jews by the Syrians, God raised up for 
them a deliverer in the noble family of the Asmonasans. The standard of 
independence was first raised by Mattathias, and the noble war for the rights 
of opinion was carried on for twenty-six years by his illustrious sons — count- 
ing from the first stroke at Modin — with five successive kings of Syria. 
Judas Maccabeus succeeded his father in the year 166 B. C, and soon gained a 
victory over the Syrians which made him master of Judea. The war was still 
waged, and it was not till the year 142 B. C. that Jewish freedom was estab- 
lished, under Simon the brother of Judas. Simon transmitted his power 
and the pontifical dignity to his son Hyrcanus, whose son and successor, 
Aristobulus, assumed the title of king. His brother, Alexander Janmeus, 
succeeded, and after his death a civil war was waged between his sons 
Hyrcanus and Aristobulus — the last named of whom was defeated by the 
Romans under Pompey — and with Antigonus, his son, the dynasty ended, in 
the year 40 B. C. The last two members of the family were Aristobulus and 
Mariamne, grandchildren of Aristobulus II. ; and with the death of Mariamne 
the Maccabean race may be said to be extinguished. The first and second 
books of Maccabees are full of interest in reference to these princes and the 
wars above noted. See Jerusalem. 

Macedonia, (Map 8,) the well-known country on the north of Greece. 
In the Apocrypha it is denoted by Chittim, 1 Mace, i, 1. Its boundaries 
varied at different periods. After the time of Philip it reached on the east 
to the ^Egean Sea and the frontiers of Thrace ; on the north it was separat- 
ed from Moesia by a mountain chain, and similarly from Illyricum on the 
north-west and west; on the south it bordered on Thessaly and the ^Egean. 
Under Philip it rose to great power. His son Alexander subdued the chiel 
part of the then known world. Daniel describes his empire, Dan. viii, 
5-8, 21. Coins still exist representing Macedonia under the symbol denoted 
by the prophet. The Romans conquered this province in 167 B. C, and it 
was at first declared free; but after being divided into four districts, of 
which Amphipolis, Thessaloiiica, Pella, and Pelagonia were the chief towns 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 291 

it became, 142 B. C, a single Roman proconsular province, and so remained 
till the reign of Tiberius. Afterward a change was made, and from the 
time of Claudius Macedonia and Achaia comprehended the whole of Greece. 
Rom. xv, 26 ; 2 Cor. ix, 2 ; 1 Thess. i, 8. 

In Acts xvi, 9-12, is recorded Paul's vision concerning Macedonia. Paul 
afterward made several visits to that country in his. missionary journeys, 
Acts xx, 1, 3 ; 2 Cor. ii, 13 ; vii, 5 ; 1 Tim. i, 3. The Macedonians were 
commended for their liberality to the saints of Jerusalem, and to Paul, Rom. 
xv, 26; 2 Cor. viii, 1-5; xi, 9. See also Acts xix, 22, 29; xxvii, 2. Por 
other details see the cities above named, and Apollonia, Berea, Neapolis, 
Philippi. 

Macedo'nian, Acts xxvii, 2, an inhabitant of Macedonia. 

Machae'rus, (iiap 5,) the place where John the Baptist was imprisoned 
aud beheaded, nine miles east of the northern part of the Dead Sea, Mark 
vi 21-29. Tristram identifies it among extensive ruins at M'Khuar. 

Mach'benah, a cloak, probably a town of Judah, of which Sheva was the 
"father," that is, the founder, 1 Chron. ii, 49. Its site is wholly unknown. 

Ma'chirites The, from Machir, sold. The descendants of Machir, thf 
father of Gilead, Num. xxiv, 29. 

Mach'mas, 1 Mace, ix, 73, the Greek form of Michmash. 

Machpe lah, portion, lot, or, probably, double cave, the spot in Hebron con- 
taining the field in which was the cave purchased by Abraham from the 
sons of Heth. This cave became the burial-place of Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, 
Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob, Gen. xxiii; xxv, 9, 19; xlix, 29-32; 1, 12, 13 
It still exists, but very few besides Mohammedans are permitted to visit it. 
It is inclosed by a very ancient structure called El Haram, standing on the 
declivity of a hill the town of Hebron lying for the most part below to the 
south and west. The whole building is about two hundred feet long, one 
hundred and fifteen broad, and fifty high. Within the exterior edifice is a 
large mosque, once perhaps a Christian church, and beneath the dome is the 
cave. In this mosque are the six tombs, possibly over the places where the 
actual sarcophagi lie in the cave below. The interior of the mosque was 
described about sixty years ago by a Spanish renegade who assumed the 
named of Ali Bey. A fuller account of it has recently been given by Dr. 
Stanley who accompanied the Prince of "Wales in his visit to the Haram in 
1862. See Stanley's Sermons in the East, and Lectures on the Jetvish Church. 
His account has been supplemented by Mr. Ferguson, and more recently by 
the Marquis of Bute, who was conducted through the building in 1866. In 
the inner porticoes and inside the mosque are chapels or shrines containing 
the tombs of the patriarchs, these tombs being the monuments or cenotaphs 
in honor of the dead who lie beneath. Thus are shown in the outer portico 
the shrines of Abraham and Sarah, which are guarded by massive silver 
gates. Within the mosque are the tombs of Isaac and Rebekah, guarded by 
gates grated with iron bars. The shrines of Jacob and Leah are shown in 
recesses, corresponding to those of Abraham and Sarah, but in a separate 
cloister opposite the entrance of the mosque. 

As to the cave itself all attempts to enter it have been thus far success- 
fully resisted by Moslem prejudices. It is considered highly probable that 
some remains of the patriarchs, especially of the embalmed body of Jacob, 
still lie in the cave. This tomb is undoubtedly accessible to the guards of 
the mosque, but whether even they venture to enter it is very doubtful 



292 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Time, will yet, doubtless, throw open mosque and cave alike to all. See 
Hebron. 

Mad'ai, (Map 12,) middle land, the name of one of the sons of Japheth, 
Gen. x, 2 ; 1 Chron. i, 5. It is extremely probable that the nation of the 
Medes is intended. See Medes, Media. 

Ma'dian, Judg. ii, 26 ; Acts vii, 29. The Greek form of Midian. 

Madman'nah, a dunghill, one of the towns in the south of Judah", Josb. 
xv, 31; 1 Chron. ii, 49. In the time of Eusebius and Jerome it was called 
Menois. Probably it is identical with the modern tl-Minydy, a town about 
fifteen miles south-south-west of Gaza. 

Mad'rnen, a dunghill, a place in Moab, threatened with destruction in the 
denunciations of Jeremiah, Jer. xlviii, 2. Of its history or site nothing is 
known. In Isa. xxv, 10, margin, the term is used as an appellative. 

Madme'nah, a dunghill, a place in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem, the 
inhabitants of which were frightened away by the approach of Sennacherib's 
army, Isa. x, 31. In Isa. xxv, 10, margin, this term is employed, while the 
text translates it as an appellative. If the prophet refers to a place, possi- 
bly he alludes to Madmen, the preceding town, in Moab. 

Ma' don, contention, a Canaanite city, probably in the north of Palestine, 
captured by Joshua, Josh, xi, 1 ; xii, 19. Nothing is known of it. 

Mag'bish, a gathering or freezing. In Ezra ii, 30, it is stated that the 
children of Magbish returned from captivity. In the corresponding list in 
Neh. vii, the name is wanting. "Whether Magbish is the name of a man or 
of a place is uncertain, but it more probably refers to a place — apparently in 
the tribe of Benjamin. 

Mag'dala, (Map 5,) a tower, accurately Magadan, according to the chief 
MSS. and versions. Syrian villages often have two names, and sometimes 
the same name has different forms. Magdala appears to have been substi- 
tuted for the original and more accurate form. In Matt, xv, 39, it is said 
that Christ took ship and came into the "coast of Magdala." The parallel 
passage in Mark viii, 10, has the "ports of Dalmanutha." Magdala was 
situated on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and Dalmanutha was 
probably a village near it. Mary called Magdalene was probably a native 
of Magdala. 

The small village of Mejdel, which stands on the shore, three miles north 
of Tiberias, is doubtless identical with Magdala. It now contains about 
twenty miserable huts, standing amid low, shapeless mounds, which appar- 
ently cover the remains of the ancient houses. 

Ma'ged, 1 Mace, v, 36. See Maked. 

Magid'do, 1 Esdras i, 29, the Greek form of Megiddo 

Ma'gog, (Map 12,) perhaps the place, or region of Gog ; or, it may be, great 
mountain. Magog was a tribe of the sons of Japheth, Gen. x, 2 ; 1 Chron. 
i, 5. In the prophecies of Ezekiel we may gather some notion of the great 
ness of this people, Ezek. xxxviii, xxxix. From the Apocalypse we learn that 
Gog and Magog represent the entire antichristian powers of the whole 
earth, Rev. xx, 8, 9. A wide-spread tradition of the Jews made these two 
terms synonymous with the aggregate powers of evil as opposed to the 
kingdom of God. Magog was used by Ezekiel undoubtedly as referring to 
the more modern Scythians — those numerous tribes living north of the Cau- 
casus. Ancient writers speak of their extended conquests. They made 
their name a terror to the whole Eastern World. Although they pressed 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 293 

through Palestine (in the seventh century B. C.) toward Egypt, God pre- 
served the Jews from their fury. They were bribed off by the Egyptian 
king, and at last driven back about 59G B. C. 

Mahana'im, (Map 5,) camps or double camp, a town east of the Jordan 
and on the north bank of the Jabbok, lying in the territor} r of Gad. It was 
the scene of the wrestling of Jacob, Gen. xxxii, 2. The place was afterward 
assigned to the Levites, Josh, xiii, 20, 30 ; xxi, 38 ; 1 Chron. vi, 80. Abner , 
established Ish-Bosheth at Mahanaim, 2 Sam. ii, 8, 12, 29. Here David had 
his headquarters during Absalom's rebellion, and here he made his lamenta- 
tion, 2 Sam. xvii, 24, 27; xix, 39; 1 Kings ii, 8. Solomon had a commis- 
sariat officer here, 1 Kings iv, 14. In Sol. Song vi, 13, allusion is made to 
Mahanaim as if still a place of repute for sanctity. 

Its site is thought by some high authorities to be identical with a ruin 
called Mahneh in the Jebel Ajlun, north of the Jabbok. But the distance of 
this ruin from the Jordan and from the Yarmuk (Jabbok) does not seem 
to accord with the Bible narrative. Some of the passages above referred to 
show that the town was walled, and large enough to contain the " thou- 
sands" who followed David thither. According to Josephus Mahanaim 
was a strong and beautiful city, and anciently one of the most important 
cities east of the Jordan. Says Mr. Porter: "It would seem strange that a 
holy place and a strongly fortified city, such as Mahanaim, should have ab- 
ruptly disappeared from history, and have left no trace behind except a poor 
village. May it not be, therefore, that the ruins of Gerasa occupy the site 
of Mahanaim? (Map 20.) The situation would suit, the Scripture narrative. 
The ancient history of Gerasa is unknown. . . . The ruins of Gerasa are 
the most splendid east of the Jordan." 

Ma haneh-Dan, camp of Dan, the place where the Danites assembled 
and encamped before going against Laish. It was " behind Kirjath-Jearim," 
Judg. xviii, 12; and "between Zorah and Eshtaol," xiii, 25. Possibly this 
last reference may be to another camp of Dan. Kirjath-Jearim is identified 
with tolerable certainty in Kuriet-el-Enab, and Zorah in Sur'a, about seven 
miles south-west of it. But no site has yet been suggested for Eshtaol 
which would be compatible with the above conditions, and no satisfactory 
Bite for Mahaneh-Dan has been found. 

Man lites, The, from Mahli, sickly. The descendants of Mahli the son of 
Merari, Num. iii, 33 ; xxvi, 58. 

Ma'kaz, end, a place mentioned in describing the district allotted to the 
second of Solomon's purveyors, 1 Kings iv, 9. It seems to have been situ- 
ated on the western slopes of the mountains of Judah, but it is not identi- 
fied. 

Ma'ked a city in Gilead into which the Jews were driven by the Am- 
monites, and from which they were delivered by Judas Maccabeus, 1 Mace, 
v, 20, 3G. In verse 3G it is written Maged. The sito is unknown. 

Makhe loth, assemblies, clcoirs, one of the encampments in the wilderness, 
Num. xxxiii, 25. Unknown. 

Makke'dah, or Mak'kedah, probably place of shepherds, a city in the 
low country of Judah, whither the defeated Canaanites were pursued by the 
Israelites in the battle of Beth-Horon. Here was a cave in which the five 
confederate fugitive kings hid themselves. Stones were rolled on the mouth 
of the cave, and the pursuit of the multitude continued until they that- re- 
mained "entered into fenced cities." Then Joshua returned to the cave, 

14 



294 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

opened it, slew the kings, and 'hanged them on five trees," Josh, x, 10, 
16, 17, 20, 21, 26, 28, 29; xii, 16; xv, 41. Eusebius and Jerome locate this 
city about eight miles from Eleutheropolis toward the east. Mr. Porter, in 
1857, found, about eight miles north-east of Eleutheropolis, a small village 
called el-Klediah, not far from Jarmuth, in the hill-side near which wero 
numerous large caves. This, Porter thinks, may mark the site of Mak- 
kedah ; yet its distance of twenty miles from Beth-Horon he admits may be 
an objection. (See Kitto.) Captain Warren {Our Work in Palestine, 1873) 
suggests that the village of El Mughar, (the cave,) lying less than eight miles 
from Ramleh, lias the modern name of the ancient Makkedah, and he pro- 
poses that further researches be made at this place. 

Mak'tesh, a mortar, a quarter or suburb of Jerusalem specially denounc ed 
by the prophet, Zeph. i, 11. It seems to have been a valley somewhat in the 
shape of a " mortar." The Targum refers it to the valley of Kidron. The 
best modern authorities generally concur in supposing Maktesh to mean the 
Tyropoeon, a deep valley in the center of the city, where the shops and prin- 
cipal places of business were and still are situated. 

Mal'los, a place in Cilicia, twenty miles from Tarsus. Its inhabitants 
revolted from Antiochus Epiphanes because he had given them to his con- 
cubine Antiochis, 2 Mace, iv, 30. 

Mam're, perhaps fruitfulness, fat. This term occurs as the name of a 
man; but also, and first, as the name of a place, the " plain of Marare which 
is in Hebron," Gen. xiii, 18; " the oak grove of Mamre the Amorite," Gen. 
xiv, 13. Mamre was one of Abraham's favorite places of residence, and it 
was here that he entertained the three angels, and here that he received 
the first distinct promise of a son, Gen. xviii, 1, 10, 14. Five times Moses 
states that Machpelah lay "before Mamre," see Gen. xxiii, 17, 19; xxv, 9; 
xlix, 30 ; 1, 13. '[See Machpelah.] If the field and cave where the patri- 
archs were buried were on the hill which forms the north-eastern side of the 
Valley of Hebron — of which there is no doubt — then Mamre must have been 
within sight of, or " facing," the cave of Machpelah, which is now covered 
by the great Ilaram, and so near the town of Hebron that it could be de- 
scribed as at it. See Hebron. 

Man'ahath, rest, a Benjaraite place mentioned only in 1 Chron. viii, 6. 
The passage in which the name occurs is very obscure, and the site of the 
place is wholly unknown. 

Mana'hethites, The, a people mentioned in two obscure passages giving 
the descendants of Caleb of the tribe of Judah, 1 Chron. ii, 52. 54. The 
preceding town of Manahath would naturally suggest itself as the home of 
this tribe; but that was of Benjamin. No satisfactory location can be 
assigned the tribe or their city. 

Manas'seh, (Map 5,) forgetting, or, who makes forget. (In Rev. vii, 6, 
Manasses.) One of the tribes of Israel sprung from the elder son of Joseph, 
Gen. xli, 51; xlvi, 20. Eor the course pursued by Joseph in his anxiety to 
obtain the recognition of his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as interested in 
the covenant blessing, see Ephraim, and compare Gen. xlviii. In spite of 
Joseph's efforts Manasseh, although the elder son, was degraded into the 
second place. The same inferiority is reiterated in the last words of Moses ; 
"They are the tec thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of 
Manasseh," Deut. xxxiii, 17. 

During the ma - ch from Egypt to Canaan the position of the tribe of 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 295 

Manasseh was, with Ephraim and Benjamin, on the west of the Tabernacle, 
Num. ii, 18, 20; x, 22, 23. At the census at Sinai it numbered 32,200, 
Num. i, 34, 35. Forty years later, on the banks of the Jordan, the tribe had 
increased to 52,100. On this occasion it is remarkable that Manasseh 
resumes his position in the catalogue as the eldest son of Joseph. Possibly 
this is due to the prowess which the tribe had shown in the conquest of 
Gilead, for Manasseh was certainly at this time the most distinguished of 
all the tribes. 

As the Israelites drew near the end of their wanderings, and when the 
districts east of the Jordan, ruled over by Sihonand Og, were being subdued, 
the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who possessed much cattle and saw that the 
land of Gilead was a place for cattle, desired that Moses would there assign 
them their inheritance, engaging to aid by a large auxiliary force in the conquest 
of western Canaan, Num. xxxii, 1-32. Part of the tribe of Manasseh were joined 
with them. They seem to have been bold, warlike men, delighting in adventure, 
who attacked and conquered the difficult country to the north, with the singu- 
lar region of Argob, Num. xxxii, 33, 39-42 ; Deut. iii, 13-15 ; Josh, xvii, 1. 
This then was the territory of trans- Jordanic Manasseh ; it extended from 
Mahanaim northward, including half Gilead, and the kingdom of Bashan, 
Josh, xiii, 29-31. This region is described by travelers as for the most part 
beautiful in its aspect, diversified by mountains, hills, and valleys, and fer- 
tile for the subsistence of those who were settled in it. It was, indeed, the 
richest tract of all Palestine, it being to this day the granary of a great part 
of Syria. Of the cities belonging to it, Golan, Ashtaroth, and Edrei are 
particularly mentioned, of which the two former were made Levitical cities, 
Golan being also a city of refuge, Josh, xx, 8 ; xxi, 27 ; 1 Chron. vi, 71. See 
Argob. The inheritance of the other half of the tribe was on the west of 
the Jordan. Their allotment is not very accurately defined in the Bible. It 
lay on the north side of Ephraim, and included the northern section of the 
hills of Samaria. The border between Ephraim and Manasseh could not 
have been far to the north of the city of Samaria, as Michmethah, one of 
its landmarks, is said to lie before Shechem, Josh, xvii, 7. Farther west, 
the tribes were separated by the river Kanah. Manasseh's lot extended across 
the whole country, from the Mediterranean to the Jordan, as is stated by 
Josephus, and as may be inferred from Josh, xvii, 9, 11. Manasseh and 
Ephraim appear to have been almost joined together as one tribe ; and they 
complained to Joshua that though they were " a great people " yet only 
"one portion" had been allotted to them, Josh, xvii, 14. It was true that 
the great cities of Beth-Shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, with their rich 
environs, had been assigned to them out of Issachar, yet they pleaded that 
these cities were strong, their inhabitants warlike, and that they had chariots 
of iron ; but Joshua tells them that it is for this very reason the cities were 
assigned to them, and that the extension of their territory depended on their 
own valor, Josh, xvii, 17, 18. When the Israelites were fully established in 
Palestine, these towns were made tributary, and the land attached to them 
was probably taken possession of, though the old inhabitants were never 
completely expelled, Judg. i, 27. Dor became one of the cities of Phoenicia, 
and Beth-Shean was an independent fortress m the time of David, 1 Sam. 
xxxi, 10. The home of the western Manassites was in the rich valleys of 
Mount Ephraim, and along tli6 wooded heights of Carmel, Josh, xvii, 15. 

This section of the tribe of Manasseh almost disappears from history imme- 



296 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

diately after its settlement. Subsequent notices of it are brief and unimport- 
ant, 1 Chron. xxvii, 20, 21 ; 2 Chron. xv, 9; xxx, 11. This may be accounted 
for by its close connection with Ephraim, which soon became the dom- 
inant tribe in the northern division of Palestine. Ephraim and Manasseh 
are usually grouped together, 2 Chron. xxxi, 1 ; xxxiv, 6, 9 ; and seem to 
have been regarded in later times as forming one people. 

The Manassites east of the Jordan were for a long period the guard an s 
of the eastern frontier of Israel, keeping in check the border tribes ; and 
when, in consequence of national sin, the whole land groaned under the iron 
yoke of the Midianites and the Amorites, two warriors of Manasseh — Gideon 
and Jephthah — drove back with terrible slaughter the cruel tyrants, and 
freed Israel, Judges vi; xi. Located on the north-eastern border, the 
Manassites suffered severely from the growing power and ambition of the 
monarchs of Damascus; and they were among the first who were subdued 
and led captive by the Assyrians. With the Reubenites and Gadites they 
were taken away to Hela, Habor, and the river Gozan, 1 Chron. v, 26. 
After the captivity some of them seem to have settled in Jerusalem, 1 Chron. 
ix, 3. 

Manas'ses, the Greek form of Manasseh, Rev. vii, 6. 

Manas sites, the members of the tribe of Manasseh, Deut. iv, 43 ; Judg. 
xii, 4 ; 2 Kings x, 33. 

Ma'on, habitation, a town in Judah which gave name to a wilderness 
where David hid himself from Saul, and around which Nabal had great pos- 
sessions, Josh, xv, 55 ; 1 Sam. xxiii, 24, 25 ; xxv, 2. Dr. Robinson identifies 
the site with the present village of Main, which is about seven miles south 
of Hebron. A few ruins are found on the top of a conical hill. 

Ma'onites, The, (Hebrew, Maon,) an Arabian tribe mentioned with the 
Amalekites, Judg. x, 12. They are identical with the Mehunims noticed in 
2 Chron. xxvi, 7. They are also probably intended in the term translated ' : habi- 
tations " in 1 Chron. iv, 41. The Maonites may possibly be traced to a residence 
in Maon, now Main, in Judah. But, leaving their name at this place, these 
Maonites migrated eastward, probably making their head-quarters at Beth- 
Meon, on the plateau of Moab ; and also at the large modern village of Ma 1 an, 
on the eastern border of Edom, about fifteen miles east of Petra. This 
village is one of the most important stations on the route from Damascus 
to Mecca. Remains of antiquity are found among the modern houses. 

Ma'rah, (Map 2,) bitterness, a station three days' journey from the place 
where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Here was a well whose waters 
were exceedingly bitter. The Lord showed Moses a tree, " which when he 
had cast into the waters, the waters w r ere made sweet." Exod. xv, 22-25* 
Num. xxxiii, 8, 9. Palmer identifies Marah with 'Ain Hawwarah, a spring 
of bitter water three days from Ayun Musa. (See SiiUR.) Uawwaiah sig- 
niiies "a small pool, the water of which sinks into the soil little by little, 
leaving the residue unfit to drink." Between the two stations noted above 
an unvaried desert plain extends, entirely without water. Palmer says : 
''The soil about this part of the country, being strongly impregnated with 
natrdn, produces none but bitter or brackish water; and it is worth observ- 
ing that the first of these springs with which we meet . . . is reached on the 
third day of our desert journey to Sinai." See Desert of the Exodus. 

Mar'alah, trembling, a landmark on the boundary of Zebulun, Josh, 
xix, 11. Mr. Porter rejects Keil's attempt to locate Maralah on Carmel as 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 297 

entirely against the plain indications of Scripture, and conjectures that its 
Bite may be identical with the little village of Hiatal, on the top of a hill 
about four miles south-west of Nazareth. The ruins of a temple, with other 
vestiges of antiquity, are here found. 

Mareshah, place at the top or head, or perhaps possession, a city in the low 
country of Judah, Josh, xv, 44. It was fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. 
xi, 8. Asa defeated the Ethiopian king, Zerah, near this place, 2 Chron. 
xiv, 9, 10; see also 1 Chron. ii, 42; iv, 21, where possibly this town may be 
intended. This was the native place of Eliezer the prophet, 2 Chron. xx, 37. 
The prophet Micah includes this city among the towns which he attempts to 
rouse to a sense of their danger, Micah i, 15. It was laid desolate by Judas 
Maccabeus on his march from Hebron to Ashdod, 1 Mace, v, 65-68. Jose- 
phus mentions Mareshah among the places possessed by Alexander Jannaeus, 
which had been in the hands of the Syrians ; but by Pompey it was restored 
to the former inhabitants and attached to the province of Syria. It was 
rebuilt by Gabinius, but was again destroyed by the Parthians in their irrup- 
tion against Herod. About a mile and a half south of Eleutheropolis Dr. 
Robinson found a remarkable tell, or artificial hill, on which were the founda- 
tions of some buildings, and these, he believes, may mark the site of 
Mareshah. 

Mar isa, the Greek form of Mareshah, 2 Mace, xii, 35. 

Ma'roth, bitterness, bitter fountains, one of the towns in the western low- 
lands of Judah, Micah i, 12. Unknown. 

Mars' Hill. Acts xvii, 19, margin, 22. See Areopagus. 

Mar Sab'a, (Map 6,) a noted convent on the road from Jerusalem to the 
Dead Sea. See Kedron. 

Mas aloth, mentioned in 1 Mace, ix, 2, as a place in Arbela besieged and 
captured by Bacchides and Alcimus on their way from the north to Gilgal 
Arbela is probably the modern Irbid, about three miles north-west of Tiberias. 
Dr. Robinson suggests that the name Masaloth may have originally signified 
"steps'' or "terraces." In that case it was probably a name given to the 
remarkable caverns still existing on the northern side of the Wady el-Humdm, 
and now called KukCat Ibn Ma 1 an, that is, caverns, which, according to Jo- 
sephus, aetually stood a remarkable siege of some length by the forces of Herod. 

Mash, drawn out, (?) a Shemite Aramean people, Gen. x, 23. In 
1 Chron. i, 17, called Meshech. It seems probable that the name Mash is 
represented by the Mons Masius of classical writers, a range formiug the 
northern boundary of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, 
below which lay Nisibis, and by the river Masche which flowed past that 
city. 

Ma'shal, entreaty. 1 Chron. vi, 74 ; Mishal in Josh, xxi, 30 ; and Misheal 
in Josh, xix, 26. A town in Asher, afterward assigned to the Gershonite 
Levites. The form Mashal suggests its identity with the Masaloth of later 
history; but as Mr. Grove says, "there is nothing to remark for or against 
this identification." 

Mas'pha. 1. Opposite Jerusalem, 1 Mace, iii, 46. The ancient Mizpeh 
of Benjamin. 

2. On the east of Jordan, 1 Mace, v, 35. Probably the ancient Mizpeh of 
Gilead. 

Mas'rekah, vineyard of noble vines, the seat of one of the early kings of 
Edom, Gen. xxxvi, 36; 1 Chron. i, 47. The site is unknown. 



298 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Mas'sa, a lifting up, a gift (?), patience (?), a son of Ishmael, and also ap- 
parently the name of the place in which his descendants settled, Gen. xxv, 
14, 16; 1 Chron. i, 30. Some identify Massa with the Masani of Ptolemy, a 
people of Eastern Arabia, bordering on Babylonia, and doubtless the same as 
the Masei of Pliny, a nomad tribe of Mesopotamia. 

Mas'sah, temptation, a name given to the place where the Israelites en- 
camped in Rephidim. Here the people, having no water to drink, "tempted 
Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us, or not?" Exod. xvii, 7. Moses 
"called the name of the place Massah and Meribah." (See Meribah.) Tho 
events at Massah are frequently afterward referred to, Deut. vi, 16 ; ix, 22 • 
xxxiii, 8. The site is unknown. See Rephidim. 

Mat'tanah, (Map 2,) a gift, a station of the Israelites, lying on the border 
between Moab and the Amorites, on the north side of the Arnon, and east- 
ward toward the wilderness of Arabia, Num. xxi, 11, 13-19. The passage 
is somewhat obscure, but by Mattanah allusion is probably made to some 
great gift from God — perhaps the "well" mentioned in Num. xxi, 16-18. 
The Targumists treat Mattanah as if a synonym for Beer, the well which 
was " given " to the people. 

Me'ah, the Tower op, (Map 9,) the tower of the hundred, one of the towers 
in the wall of Jerusalem, as rebuilt after the return from the captivity, Neh. 
iii, 1 ; xii, 39. It stood between the Sheep Gate and the tower of Hananeel, 
bnt the site of each of these is disputed. According to Mr. Porter, " The 
most probable theory appears to be that the Sheep Gate adjoined the temple 
on the north, and that Meah was only a short distance from it, thus occupy- 
ing the position on which the great fortress of Antonia was afterward built. 
Those who adopt this view, however, are not agreed as to the size of the 
temple-courts, and consequently they differ as to the real site of Meah." Dr. 
Barclay locates this tower east of the temple on the very brink of the 
Kidron ; while Ferguson would place it near the north-western angle of the 
ancient city. See Hananeel. 

Mea'ni, a corrupt Greek form of Mehunim, 1 Esdras v, 31; compare 
Ezra ii, 50. 

Mea'rah, a cave, a place mentioned only in Josh, xiii, 4, in describing the 
land which at that time still remained unsubdued. It was apparently near 
Zidon. Some think it was simply a cave, but more probably it was a city 
or district. "About half way between Tyre and Sidon, close to the shore, 
are the ruins of an ancient town ; and in the neighboring cliffs are large 
numbers of caves and grottoes hewn in the rock, and formerly used as tombs. 
Dr. Robinson suggested that this maybe 'Mearahof the Sidonians,' (ii, 474.) 
The ruins are now called Adldn; but perhaps take their name from the vil- 
lage on the mountain-side." — Porter in Kitto. 

Med'aba, the Greek form of Medeba, 1 Mace, ix, 36. 

Me'dan, sfrife, contention, one of the sons of Abraham and Keturah, Gen. 
xxv, 3; 1 Chron. i, 32. All Keturah's sons seem to have become tho heads 
of Arab tribes. On the Euphrates is a village called Madan, and in Hejaz, 
Arabia, is a city called Maadan; both of which are conjecturally traced to 
Medan. 

Med'eba, waters of quiet, or rest, a city of Moab, Num. xxi, 27-30. In 
the allotment to the trans-Jordanic tribes this place fell within the territory 
of Reuben, Josh, xiii, 16 ; but while the whole plain was occupied by the 
Reubenites, the city of Medeba itself, being doubtless strongly fortified, was 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 299 

probably suffered to remain, like many in "Western Palestine, in the hands 
of its old inhabitants. Thus it is not found in the list of cities assigned to 
Reuben. It gave its name to a district of level downs called " the Mishor of 
Medeba," or, " the Mishor on Medeba," verse 9. In David's time Medeba 
appears to have passed into the hands of the Ammonites, for they concen- 
trated their forces and allies to resist an attack which their own insolence 
and folly led them to anticipate. They were totally defeated by Joab, and 
the allies were dispersed; but the Ammonites found refuge in Medeba, 
1 Chron. xix, 1-15. In the prophetic curse upon Moab Medeba is mentioned 
as one of its chief cities, Isa. xv, 2; compare 1 Mace, ix, 36. The Moabites 
had then recovered their ancient country. Medeba is mentioned by Ptolemy. 
It was known to Eusebius and Jerome. The ruins of Medeba still exist 
under the Arabic name Madeba. They lie about four miles south-east of 
Heshbon, with which they are connected by an ancient paved road. Not a 
building remains standing. Among the ruins are a large cistern, and the 
remains of a massive temple of the Doric order. 

Medes, (Map 12,) the inhabitants of Media, 2 Kings xvii, 6; Ezra vi, 2; 
Esther i, 19; Isa. xiii, 17; Dan. v, 28, 31; 2 Esdras i, 3; Acts ii, 9, etc. 
See Media. 

Me'dia, (Map 1,) a large country in Asia. The name is the same as 
Madai, {middle land,) one of Japheth's sons, Gen. x, 2. The Hebrew word 
thus translated Madai, is also rendered Medes, 2 Kings xvii, 6, etc. ; and 
Media, Esther i, 3, etc. ; and also Mede, Dan. xi, 1. In the period of which 
Herodotus writes the people of Media were called Arians. 

Media was separated from Persia on the south by a desert ; on the west 
the boundary was the mountains of Zagros, and the chain proceeding thence 
to Ararat, the Araxes limited it northward ; while on the east it reached to 
the desert, the Caspian gates, and the mountains south of the sea. Anciently 
Media was divided into Media Magna, and Media Atropatene. The former 
included the Nisaaan plain, famous for a breed of horses, and corresponded 
with the modern Irak Ajemi, with parts of Kurdistan and Luristan. Media 
Atropatene, named from the satrap Atropates, who established himself there 
when Alexander overthrew the Persian Empire, corresponded to Azerbijan, 
and perhaps Talish and Ghilan. In each of the two divisions of Media was 
a chief city called Ecbatana, which see. According to Rawlinson the entire 
length of the kingdom of Media might be five hundred and fifty miles from 
north to south, and its breadth from two hundred and fifty to three hundred. 

After the notice in Gen. x, 2, of Madai, who must be considered their 
founder, the Medes are not again mentioned in Scripture during a period of 
fiftoen centuries, until Isaiah, in his prophetic threat against the Babylonians, 
(about B. C. 120,) declares, "I will stir up the Medes against them," Isa. 
xiii, 17. In very ancient times doubtless the Medes were powerful, and they 
are said to have conquered Babylonia; but later they appear to have been 
oppressed and plundered by the Assyrians, who planted military colonies 
among them. 

About B. C. 625, the Medes, under their king, Cyaxares, took Nineveh, 
and Media now became the most powerful monarchy in Western Asia. 
Cyaxares ruled over Assyria, Persia, Media, Armenia, and other countries, 
from the Halys to the Caspian Gates, and from the Caspian and Black Seas 
to the Persian Gulf. But the power of Media was short-lived. On the death 
of Cyaxares the throne was left to Astyages. Ir a war between the Medee 



300 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

and Persians the latter under Cyrus were victorious, and the two king- 
doms were united under one scepter B. G. 558. Not only was the life of 
Astyages spared, but he was allowed to retain his title of king. Doubtless 
these two nations were branches of the same great Arian family, and this 
fact would account for the honorable position which the Meues still occupied 
in the Persian court and realm. This also would illustrate the predictions 
which represent the Medes as the chief agents in the overthrow of Babylon, 
while they acted in conjunction with the Persians, Isa. xiii, 17; Jer. li, 11, 28. 

The earliest Scripture mention of Median territory refers to the removal 
of some of the Israelites into Median cities by Assyrian kings, 2 Kings 
xvii, 6; xviii, 11. The predictions of Median conquest afterward made by 
the prophets above alluded to were completely accomplished, Dan. v, 
28, 31. The union of the Medes and Persians as a Medo-Persian kingdom 
is frequently referred to, Esther i, 3, 14, 18, 19; x, 2 ; Dan. vi, 8, 12. Ach- 
metha or Ecbatana, in Media, is alluded to as being the royal residence, 
Ezra vi, 2. 

But the lofty Median spirit was not satisfied in holding the first rank 
among the Persian satrapies. In the third year of Darius Hystaspes the 
Medes elected a king and joined the Assyrians and Armenians against the 
Persians. Darius defeated their army, captured the usurper at Phages, and 
put him to death at Ecbatana. During the reign of Darius Nothus they 
made another unsuccessful revolt. With the rest of the Persian Empire 
Media was conquered by Alexander the Great, and eventually the whole 
country passed over to the Parthian monarchy. At the present time Media 
is included under the dominions of the Shah of Persia. 

The religion of the ancient Medes, which was identical with that of the 
Persians, consisted of the adoration of two great beings — Ormazd, the prin- 
ciple of Good, and Ahriman, the principle of Evil. With this was connected 
the worship of the heavenly bodies, and at a later period was added the 
worship of the elements, and of fire as the chief. Their priesthood, called 
Magi, claimed power to interpret dreams and foretell events. 

Median, The, the designation of Darius, also called the Mede, Dan. 
v, 31 ; xi, 1. 

Mediterranean Sea, (Maps 5, 8.) This name does not occur in Scrip- 
ture. It is called the " Great Sea," Num. xxxiv, 6, 7 ; Josh, i, 4 ; ix, 1 ; 
xv, 12, 47; xxiii, 4; Ezek. xlvii, 10, 15, 20; xlviii, 28; the "Sea of the 
Philistines," Exod. xxiii, 31; "Sea of Joppa," Ezra hi, 7 ; "The Sea," 
Josh, xv, 4, 46; Acts xvii, 14; the "hinder sea," Zech. xiv, 8; the "utmost 
sea," Deut. xi, 24; xxxiv, 2; Joel ii, 20. 

Megid'do, (Map 5,) place of troops. In Zech. xii, 11, Megiddon. Some- 
times Magiddo, 1 Esdr. i, 25, 31. Perhaps also Armageddon, which see. 
Megiddo was an ancient royal city of the Canaanites enumerated among 
those whose kings were slain by Joshua, Josh, xii, 21. It lay on tho 
southern edge of the plain of Esdraelon. Though within the allotted terri- 
tory of Issachar, it, with several other cities in the plain, was assigned to 
Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 11 ; 1 Chron. vii, 29. The Manassites were not able 
to expel the old inhabitants ; but when the power of Israel was fully estab- 
lished the Canaanites were reduced to slavery, Josh, xvii, 13-18; Judges 
i, 27, 28. The plain by which this city stood is sometimes called the Yalley 
of Megiddo, 1 Chron. xxxv, 22. See Esdraelon. It was the battle-field 
of Palestine, where the Israelites gaine i some of their most glorious victo- 




Arabia 
Ararat 
Armenia, 

Arvad 

Ashkenax -. 

Aeshur 

Assyria .. 

j5uz _ , 

Chahle.1 ... 

Chiitim ... 

Cush, _ 

Durt'jah _ 

jMdtTTl , Dedasiun 
Edam IdianiVi .. 

Egypt 

Etajn _ ... 

Ethiopia 

Euphrates 

fonw 

Greeui 

BeUxm. 

Isl •,* of the Gentile, 
Zeles ofEbehah 

Javan 

Kedax. 

Libva .... 

Lad 

LacUm. Zydia . ... 



r Magoa... 

Medes...... 

Media .... 

ifeslurh 

ifbad 

.Kebaioth 

Foph - 

Ophir. 

Palestine 



lea ZXZ.13. Jtr. XXV 24. *c. 

Jtr.LJ.27 

Ita.XtXVTl.3S 

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Jer.L Z.27 

FzekXXVJZ.23; XXXU.22.Sot XZV3t*c 

Isa.Vn.l8.ex.Ac 

Jer.XSy.23 

Jer. I 10; LI.2*; LI. 36 ; Euk.XVI.29; XXM 16 

UaXtm 11, XZMJ2, Jer. U.10. EzekXXVnji; Dun.M.30 rhthros 

Ita.Xt.JliJte. Persia, 

Zta..XXZ.U Phut 

lea. 1X1.13; Ezek.XZVH.15; XXZVZZl. 13 Raanuth 

Zsa.XL.14 .■ XXXIV. 5, Jer. 1X26; ExekXXVK. XXXV. L r >; Sx. \ Aatiab.. 
PsLXXXJ 0. ; icJko. Seba ..... 

Zsa..Xt.U;XXt 2.XXa.6.JeKXfF25,XLZX34to39,&£. i Seir 

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JerXm.o; XLVl 6tlO;Ll£3 

Ezek.xxxym.6.a>u. 1.3 

Dan.ym.21;X.20.XL2, Joel M.6 
Enk.XXm.18 
s.or'TheZebse' Zeph.XL H 



Shaiar 

Sihor. 

Susa.Susiana 

Syria.. _ 

Tema ...... ... 



Eeek.XXVJL.7 Tharshuh. 

Xea.IXVU9;Etek,XXVU.13.19,St. 

ZsaXXZ 16.17. XUZ.P ;LX.7. Jer.JLTO.- XLIX.28.£eek.imZ21) Toqarmah 

Etek. XXX. 5. XXXVUZ. 5 Tubal 

Zea. LXVI.19. Exek. JXVU. 10 ' U; 

ExekXXX.5 Zoan. ... 



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Exek. XXXVm. Z .XZXJX. 6 

Zea Xm.17. Jer XXV 26; ZJ. D ,2 8. Dan, V. 28. ;1kU!J 

lea. XXZ.2. Dan,. VOL .20 

Emk.XXVn.18; XXXU26.XZXVm.2, XlXLX 

Jer. LI. 27 

Isa, LX. 7 

lea. nX.13;Jerl[J6; XlZt r . 1 . XLVU4, 19. Ezekfl/it 

Zto,.XUl.l2;&c. 

Joel. UZ.4;Ex.Xy.l4;ha.XZV.U9 

Isa.XI U;JerXLW.16;Eztk.XXZX M.XXX.14 

Ezek. XXVLK.10;XZXVm.6, Dan. VE1.20; X 13 

EuJc XXVII.IO; JfiaA. Jtt 9 

£zek.XXVH22 

Ps. LXXXVU.4, LXXXZX10; Jsu. U.9 

Ps UCXn..l(i;haXLm.XO.r.lO; Ezek XXm.4! 

Ita.XSI.ll; ice. 

Isa. 1X6: Jer.Vl:iO; Ezek.XXVH.22. XiXVld ,; 

lea. XI. 11. Dan. 1.2. Zech V. 11 

Isa XXM. 3; Jer. If. 13 

Esih.1.1* 

L>o,.VZL2, 4. 8. XVK3; Exek.XVI.57; XXVllld 

Ua, XX1U, Jer XLV.23 Hos.Xlt.12; Amos i, 

lea. tt.16. XXm.1 . 6,10, LX. 9; LXY1. 19. Jer X 1 

Exek. XXVlI.12.XXVn. 26; XXXVMU: Jonah I 

Ezek.XXVn.li; xxxvm. 6 

lea, LXn.l9;Euk.XX\T112; xxxn.26.xxxn 

Jer XXV. 20. Lam. ZV. 2t 

lea. XLf.n. XXX 4. Ezek. XXX 14, tc . 



O 



10 



20 



HUNTS. EATON, NEW YORK 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 305 

lies and sustained Some of their most terrible defeats. Megiddo has derived 
its chief celebrity from two of these battles. The first was the victory of 
Barak, a spirited account of which is in Judges iv ; v. Solomon fortified this 
place, and the region round was one of his commissariat districts, 1 Kings 
ix, 15 ; iv, 12. Hither Ahaziah, King of Judah, fled, 2 Kings ix, 27. The 
second battle ended in a fearful defeat to Israel. Pharaoh-Necho, marching 
against the King of Assyria, passed up the plains of Philistia and Sharon. 
King Josiah foolishly attempted to stop him while defiling through the glens 
of Carmel into the plain of Megiddo. He was defeated, and as he fled the 
Egyptian archers shot him in his chariot. He was taken to Jerusalem, but 
appears to have died on the road, 2 Kings xxiii, 29 ; 2 Chron. xxxv, 20-24. 
See also Zech. xii, 11. 

Among the Roman historians the name of a city called Legio is often 
found. The position of Legio in that part of the plain where Megiddo must 
have been situated, and its proximity to Taanach — with which Megiddo is 
almost uniformly joined in Scripture — lead to the belief that Legio was the 
Roman name of the Hebrew Megiddo. The ruins of Legio are now called 
El-Lejjdn. These consist of same heavy foundations and heaps of hewn 
stones, intermixed with columns of granite, marble, and limestone. There 
are also traces of a large Khan. Mr. Porter {Hand-book, p. 365) says of this 
place and its ruins: "Megiddo is situated in a nook of the hills, on the 
border of the plain. About half a mile north of the ruins a large green 
mound called Tell el-Mutsellim, 'The Governor's Tell,' terminates a low pro- 
jecting ridge. ... It is a most commanding site, affording a view of the 
whole plain of the ancient cities of Shunem, Jezreel, and Taanach." Although 
this hill has been for ages under cultivation, a few faint traces of old build- 
ings are seen ; and some are inclined to believe that on this tell stood the 
stronghold of Megiddo. In a deep bed near the base of the tell flows the 
stream which passes Lejjun. This is considered by some of the best author- 
ities as "the waters of Megiddo," mentioned in Judges v, 19; but Dr. Stan- 
ley (S. and P., p. 339) supposes these "waters" rather to be "the pools in 
the bed of the Kishon " itself. 

Mehu'nim, Ezra ii, 50. Called also Maon, Meani, Meunim, Mehunims. 

Mehu'nims, habitations, 2 Chron. xxvi, 7. See Maonites. 

Me-jar'kon, the waters of yellowness, a town of Dan, mentioned only in 
Josh, xix, 46, and apparently situated in the plain near Joppa. Unknown. 

Mek'onah, or Meko'nah, a place, or base of a pillar, that is, foundation, 
a town, apparently situated near Ziklag, on the southern border of Palestine, 
Neh. xi, 28. It was inhabited by the men of Judah after the captivity, and 
seems to have been a place of some magnitude. 

Mel'ita, (Map 8,) an island in the Mediterranean, on which was wrecked 
the ship which was conveying St. Paul to Rome as a prisoner, and which 
was the scene of the interesting circumstances recorded in Acts xxvii, xxviii. 
Melita was the ancient name of Malta, and also of a small island in the Adri- 
atic, now called Meleda. Each of these has been earnestly advocated as the 
Melita of Scripture. The received and well-established opinion is in favor 
of Malta. The chief argument for Meleda is mainly based on the statement 
that the ship of St. Paul was " driven up and down in (the sea of) Adria," 
when wrecked on Melita. But this claim is completely refuted. Prom vari- 
ous ancient writers it is proved that the name of Adria was not, in its ancient 
acceptation, limitei to the present Adriatic Sea, but comprehended the seaa 



306 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 




of Greece and Sicily, and extended even to Africa. See Adria. Moreover, 
ample memorials of St. Paul's visit exist in Malta, while in Meleda there is 
an utter absence of such memorials. Dr. Kitto well says ; " There is, per- 
haps, no piece of land of the same extent in the world which is made to 
contain reference so diversified and so numerous to any one person as the 
island of Malta to St. Paul, who is, in fact, the tutelary saint of the island." 
To the place where it is supposed the shipwreck took place, the name of 
St. Paul's Bay has been given, and this bay exactly answers the description 
given in the Scripture narrative. There is also a creek with a sandy beach 

and a place of two seas, Acts xxvii, 39, 41. 
The apostle tarried on the island three months, 
during which the "barbarous people" showed 
him much kindness, while Paul in turn per- 
formed some miraculous cures, Acts xxviii, 
1-11. The term "barbarous," applied to the 
islanders, it is claimed, would not be given to 
the civilized people of Malta, especially by a 
Jew. But the" use of this term merely inti- 
mates that they were not of Greek or Roman 
origin. This appellation accurately describes 
the ancient inhabitants of Malta; but it could 
not apply to the inhabitants of Meleda, who 
were Greeks. 

Malta lies south of Sicily, from the nearest point of which it is fifty-eight 
miles distant. Its circumference is about sixty miles, its length twenty, and 
its breadth twelve. Malta has no mountains or high hills, and makes no 
figure from the sea. It was colonized by the Phoenicians, from whom it was 
taken by the Greek colonists in Sicily about 136 B. C. The Carthagenians 
obtained possession of it 402, and the Romans 242 B. C. In Acts xxviii, 7, 
notice is made of the chief Roman officer. On the division of the Roman 
empire Melita belonged to the western portion, but it was afterward attached 
to the Empire of the East. About the end of the ninth century the island 
was taken from the Greeks by the Arabs, who made it a dependency upon 
Sicily, which was also in their possession. In A. D. 1090 it was wrested 
from the Arabs by the Normans, and it went through other changes after- 
ward till A. D. 1530, when Charles V., who had annexed it to his empire, 
transferred it to the knights of St. John of Jerusalem, whom the Turks had 
recently dispossessed of Rhodes. This Order of St. John, commonly called 
Knights of Malta, gradually fell into decay, and the island was surrendered 
to the French in 1198. The English gained possession of it in 1300, and 
held it by military power till 1814, when it was formally acknowledged a 
British dependency, in which condition it still remains. The population is 
about one hundred and twenty thousand. 

Mem'phis, (Map 1,) Hos. ix, 6; in Hebrew, Moph. In Isa. xix, 13, and 
elsewhere, the form is Noph. Various interpretations are given of the 
meaning of this name. The Hebrew forms are contractions of the ancient 
Egyptian Men-Nufr or Men-Nefru, " the pyramid city." The sacred name of 
Memphis was Ha-Ptah, Pa-Ptah, or Ha-Ptah-Ka, or Ha-Ka-Ptah, " the abode 
of Ptah," or " of the being of Ptah." The ancient Egyptian commoD name 
signifies either "the good abode," or "the abode of the good one," that is, 
Osiris, or " the gate of the blessed." Some trace in the name of the city a 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 307 

connection with Menes, its founder. Memphis was a very nnoient and cele- 
brated city of Egypt. It lay on the left bank of the Nile. According to 
tradition, Menes, the founder, obtained a site for his city by damming up a 
branch of the Nile and restraining the water to a new channel which he 
dug. The era of Menes is not satisfactorily determined. "Wilkinson dates 
it B. C. 2690 ; Poole, B. C. 2717 ; Bunsen, B. C. 3643 ; Brugsch, B. C. 4455 ; 
and Lepsius, B. C. 3892. All agree that the city belongs to the earliest 
periods of authentic history. 

Memphis was surrounded with mounds and embankments to protect it 
against the inundations of the river, and these served also for security 
against hostile attacks. It would seem to have been the capital of those 
Pharaohs who reigned in Lower Egypt in the times of the patriarchs, and it 
was their territory in which Abraham, Jacob, and the Israelitish tribes so- 
journed. Under Psammetichus this city became the metropolis of all Egypt, 
and it grew and nourished as the southern Thebes declined. Under Persian 
rule and the government of the Ptolemies Memphis (the center of the 
Memphitic nome or province) continued the chief city, but the foundation 
of Alexandria was fatal to its prosperity. Even in Strabo's time, though 
still large and populous, many of its great buildings were falling into decay. 
And when at length Cairo rose in its neighborhood, Memphis rapidly de- 
clined. 

According to Diodorus Siculus the city had a circumference of about nine- 
teen miles, and the houses or inhabited quarters, as was usual in the great 
cities of antiquity, were interspersed with numerous gardens and public 
areas. Temples, palaces, magnificent gateways and colonnades, colossal 
statues, catacombs for the sacred bulls, a paved road lined with colossal 
lions, beautiful and richly ornamented " inclosures," the grand and wonderful 
pyramids of the adjacent Necropolis — all these united to give Memphis the 
pre-eminence which it enjoyed as " the haven of the blessed." But its glory 
long ago departed. Jeremiah (xlvi, 19) declares that " Noph shall be waste 
and desolate without an inhabitant." See also Isa. xix, 13; Jer. ii, 16; 
xlvi, 14; Ezek. xxx, 16. 

Abd-el-Latif, the Arabian physician, who visited the place in the thirteenth 
century, describes its ruins as then marvelous beyond description. Abul- 
feda, in the fourteenth century, speaks of the remains of Memphis as im- 
mense, but for the most part in a state of decay. So complete was the ruin 
of Memphis that for a long time its very site was lost. Recent explorations 
have brought to light many of its antiquities, which have been distributed 
among the museums of Europe and America. A very large number of relics 
may be seen at the Abbott Museum in New York. The Necropolis, adjacent 
to the city, gave to Memphis the title of " City of the Pyramids." The prin- 
cipal seat of the Pyramids, the Memphite Necropolis, was in a range of about 
fifteen miles from Sakkara to Gizeh, and in the groups here remaining nearly 
thirty are probably tombs of the imperial sovereigns of Memphis. 

The site of this once magnificent city is marked by the insignificant village 
of Meet Raheeneh, or Mitraheny. 

Meon'enim, The Plain of, the oak of the sorcerers. A celebrated oak 
(not a plain) near Shechem, Judg. ix, 37. It is probable that under or near 
this tree divination had been practiced. 

Meph'aath, splendor, perhaps a lofty, conspicuous place, a city in Reuben, 
Rituated in the plain country, or Mishor, near Heshbon, assigned to the sons 



308 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of Merari, and subsequently in the possession of the Moabites, Josh, xiii, 18 
xxi, 37 ; 1 Chron. vi, 79; Jer. xlviii, 21. Its site is lost. 

Me'ran, a place mentioned with Theman as famous for its merchants and 
wise men, Bar. iii, 23. The locality is very uncertain. Probably it was 
some district in Arabia. Some think it a corruption of Medan or Midian. 
There are other opinions, but all are mere conjecture. 

Mer'arites. See Leyites. 

Meratha'im, The Land of, the land of double rebellion, probaliy a poetical 
name for Chaldea, Jer. 1, 1. The term maybe intended to express the double 
captivity — that of Israel and that of Judah, or the land in which first the 
A ssyrians and then the Babylonians oppressed God's people. 

Meribah, (Map 2,) chiding, strife. 

1. The name given to the place where the rock was struck and the people 
murmured. It was in the Desert of Sin, on the western gulf of the Red Sea,, 
Exod. xvii, 1-7. See Massah. 

2. Another fountain produced in the same manner, and under similar cir- 
cumstances, in the Desert of Zin, ( Wady Arabah,) near Kadesh, Num. xx, 
13, 24. In Deut. xxxiii, 8, this place is mentioned with the preceding 
Meribah, which is called Massah, to prevent the confusion of the two Meri- 
bahs. This Meribah, near Kadesh, is almost always indicated by the addi- 
tion of "waters," that is, "waters of Meribah," as if further to distinguish 
it from the other, Psa. lxxxi, 7; cvi, 32; and still more distinctly, "waters 
of Meribah in Kadesh," Num. xxvii, 14; Deut. xxxii, 51; Ezek. xlvii, 19. 
Only once is it called simply Meribah, Psa. xcv, 8. 

Me'rom, The Waters of, (Map 5,) the waters of height, or, the ujyper 
waters, the name of a lake situated in the northern part of the Holy Land. 
By the "waters of Merom" Joshua encountered and crushed the confed- 
eracy of the northern tribes of Canaan, under the leadership of Jabin, 
King of Hazor, Josh, xi, 5, 7. This is the only passage in Scripture in 
which the lake is mentioned, and we have no clear indication of its pre- 
cise geographical position. Nor is the name of Merom found in Josephus. 
In his account of the battle the confederate kings encamp " near Beroth, a 
city of Galilee not far from Kedes;" nor does he mention any water. 
Josephus, in speaking of the second Jabin, says that he " belonged to the 
city Asor, (Hazor,) which lay above the Lake of Samachonitis." Inasmuch 
as the Hazor of the first and the Hazor of the second Jabin were, doubtless, 
one and the same place, and as the waters of Merom are named in connection 
with the former, most geographers have inferred that the waters of Merom 
are identical with the Samachonitis of Josephus, and that both are identical 
with the modern Bahr el-Huleh. But some high authorities are opposed to 
this threefold identification. Speaking of Merom, Mr. Grove says: "The 
name is usually given to the Lake of Haleh, but without any sufficient rea- 
son." (Grove's Index in Clark's Atlas.) Says Keil, (on Josh, xi, 6-9): " The 
traditional opinion that ' waters of Merom ' is the Old Testament name for 
Lake of Samachonitis or Huleh, is not founded upon any historical evidence, 
but is simply an inference of Reland (1) from the statement made by Jose- 
phus (Antiq., V, 5, 1) that Hazor was above the Lake of Samachonitis, it 
being taken for granted without further reason that the battle occurred at 
Hazor, and (2) from the supposed similarity in the meaning of the name, 
namely, that Samachonitis is derived from an Arabic word signifying to 
be high, and therefore means the same as Merom, (height,) though here 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 309 

again the Zere is disregarded, and Merom is arbitrarily ldentifiel with 
Marom." 

Meron'othite, perhaps rejoicing, a native of some place called Meronoth, 
probably in Benjamin, 1 Chron. xxvii, 30 ; Neh. iii, 7. 

Me'roz, perhaps secret, or refuge, a place in the north of Palestine whose 
inhabitants were rebuked for not aiding Barak against Sisera, Judg. v, 23. 
It must have been in the neighborhood of Kishon. Mr. Grove inclines to 
the conjecture of Schwarz, that Meroz is to be found at el-Murussus, a ruined 
site about four miles north-west of Beisan, on the southern slopes of thehilla 
which are the continuation of the so-called "Little Hermon." 

Me'ruth. 1 Esdras v, 24. A corruption of Immer, which see. 

Me sech and Me'shech, (Map 12,) a drawing out, possession. 

1. A Japhetic people, Gen. x, 2; 1 Chron. i, 5; Psa. cxx, 5; Ezek. 
zxvii, 13, etc. They were probably the progenitors of the Moschi and Mus- 
covites. On the Assyrian monuments their name is written Muskai. In the 
above passages this people appear as the ally of Gog, and as supplying the 
Tyrians with copper and slaves, and are considered as one of the remotest, 
and at the same time rudest, nations of the world. Although the Moschi 
were a comparatively unimportant race in classical times, they had pre- 
viously been one of the most powerful nations of Western Asia. The As- 
syrian monarchs were engaged in frequent wars with them, and it is not 
improbable that they had occupied the whole of the district afterward 
named Cappadocia. 

2. A Shemite people, 1 Chron. i, 1*7. See Mash. 

Me'sha, retreat, or middle district, a place in the possessions of the Jok- 
tanites, whose ''dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sepher, a 
mount of the east," Gen. x, 30. The situation of Mesha has been a subject 
of much controversy among geographers. So, also, have been the boundaries 
of the Joktanites. See Joktan. Mesha was probably the western limit 
of Joktan, and if so, should be sought for in north-western Yemen. The 
most probable site seems to be Moosa, a port on the Red Sea. It is 
mentioned by Ptolemy, Pliny, and others. In classical times it was a place 
of note, but it has fallen into decay if the modern Moosa be the same place. 
Gesenius would identify Mesha with Afesene, once an island now a portion 
of the delta at the mouth of the Tigris in the Persian Gulf, and which is fre- 
quently mentioned by classic and ecclesiastical writers. Kalisch adopts this 
view. But it is very doubtful whether this island was in existence in the 
days of Moses. Mr. Forster identifies Mesha with a mountain range called 
Zames by Ptolemy, which commences near the Persian Gulf, and runs in a 
south-westerly direction nearly across the peninsula. No site can be agreed 
upon. 

Mesopota'mia, (Map 1,) in tlie midst of rivers; Syria of the two rivers, the 
district lying between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, and deriving its 
name from this circumstance. This tract, "between the two rivers," is 
nearly seven hundred miles long, and from twenty to two hundred and fifty 
miles broad. Its limits seem to have varied at different periods, or the name 
wag vaguely used so as to be applied to different extents of territory by 
different writers. Thus, while Strabo draws a line between it and Babylo- 
nia, Pliny assigns it to Assyria, and extends it southward as far as the 
Persian Gulf. The Mesopotamia of Scripture is the north-western part of 
the district above described. It consists of the mountain country extending 



310 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

from Birehjik to Jezireh-ibn- Omar upon the north; and, upon the south, of 
the great undulating Mesopotamian plain, as far as the Sinjar hills and the 
river Khabour. A part of this tract is the district called Padan-Aram. 

Nahor and his family, quitting Ur of the Chaldees, settled in Mesopotamia, 
Gen. xxiv, 10 ; and here resided Bethuel and Laban; and to this place Abram 
sent his servant to fetch Isaac a wife "of his own kindred," Gen. xxiv, 15, 
29, 38 ; xxv, 20. Hither, also, a century later, came Jacob on the same 
errand, Gen. xxviii, 5, 7 ; xxix, 4; xlvi, 15; and thence he returned with his 
two wives after an absence of twenty-one years, xxxi, 17, 18; xxxiii, 18; 
xlviii, 7. See also Acts vii, 2, and Gen. xi, 28-31. At the close of the wander- 
ings in the wilderness, Balak, the king of Moab, sent for Balaam " to Pethor of 
Mesopotamia," (Deut. xxiii, 4,) which was situated among "the mountains 
of the East," (Num. xxiii, 7,) by a river, (xxii, 5,) probably the Euphrates. 
About half a century later we find, for the first and last time, Mesopotamia 
the seat of a powerful monarchy. Chushan-Rishathaim, King of Mesopota- 
mia, establishes his dominion over Israel shortly after the death of Joshua, 
Judges iii, 8 ; and he maintains his authority for the space of eight years, 
when his yoke is broken by Othniel, Caleb's nephew, Judges iii, 9, 10. 
Finally, the children of Ammon, having provoked a war with David, "sent 
a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Meso- 
potamia, and out of Syria-Maacliah, and out of Zobah," 1 Chron. xix, 6; 
compare Psa. lx, title. See also Acts ii, 9. This country became afterward 
part of the Assyrian and then of the Babylonian Empire. It was subject to 
the Persian kings, conquered by Alexander, and subsequently ruled by the 
Syrian monarchs. In later times it was alternately under Roman and 
Parthian sway, till ultimately relinquished to Parthian or Persian rule. Of 
the chief cities of modern Mesopotamia, Or/a and Harran are believed to be 
the ancient Ur and Haran; Nisibin and Diarbekr, the ancient Nisibis and 
Amida. 

Dr. Tilstone Beke has suggested that the Haran of the Bible is not in the 
district as above described, but is identical with a village four hours east of 
Damascus. But Dr. Beke seems to be almost alone in this opinion. See 
Haran. 

Me'theg-Am'mah, bridle of the metropolis, or bridle of Ammah. In 
2 Sam. viii, 1, the passage reads, " David took Metheg- Amman out ol the 
hand of the Philistines; " but the margin has "the bridle of Ammah," in- 
stead of Metheg- Ammah. In the parallel passage, (1 Chron. xviii, 1,) " Gath 
and her daughter towns " is substituted for Metheg- Ammah. Possibly 
the sacred writer may mean that when David took the bridle of the mother- 
city (probably Gath) out of the hand of the Philistines he subdued tne me- 
tropolis of the Philistines. 

Meu'nim, habitations, Neh. vii, 52. See Mehunim. 

Mich'mash, and Mich'mas, something hidden, a town of Benjamin, Ezra 
ii, 27; Neh. vii, 31; xi, 31; east of Beth-Aven, 1 Sam. xiii, 5; and south 
from Migron, on the road to Jerusalem, Isa. x, 28. It is also called Macalon, 
1 Esdr. v, 21. At Michmash was a pass where the progress of a military 
body might readily be impeded, and it was doubtless a place of considerable 
military importance. From the chivalrous exploit of Saul's sou, Jonathan, 
the place is chiefly celebrated, 1 Sam. xiii; xiv, 4-16. Here Jonathan Mac- 
cabeus fixed his abode, 1 Mace, ix, 73. It has been identified, with great 
probability, in the modern village of Mukhmas, which lies about seven miles 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 



311 



north of Jerusa- 
lem, on the north- 
ern edge of the 
great Wady Su- 
weinit. The village 
is almost desolate. 
There are many 
foundations of 
hown stones, 
among which are 
a few columns. 
Some travelers be- 
lieve that they have 
recognized the 
rocks Bozez and 
Sent h, the scene 
of Jonathan's ex- 
ploit. 

Mich'methah, 
hiding-place, a 
place on the 
boundaryofEphra- 
im and Manasseh, 
facing Shechem, 
Josh, xvi, 6; xvii, 
whether the two 




MICHMASH. 



T. "With our present data it is impossible to decide 
passages indicate two towns or one. If one only, then 
it must have been near Shechem, but the site is unknown. 

Mid'din, measures, a town in the "wilderness" of Judah, mentioned only 
in Josh, xv, 61. It probably lay close to the Dead Sea; but its site is 
unknown. 

Mid'ian, (Map 2,) strife. In Judith ii, 26, and Acts vii, 29, Madian. The 
name of Abraham's fourth son by Keturah, and of a powerful and celebrated 
nation of Arabia that sprung from him, Gen. xxv, 2; Num. xxii; 1 Chron. 
i, 32, 33. The plural form, Midianites, is used a few times, Gen. xxxvii, 28; 
"Num. xxv, 17 ; xxxi, 20. Midian, though not the oldest, was the most cele- 
brated son of Keturah. "What Judah became among the tribes of Israel, 
Midian became among the tribes of Arabia. For a long period the Midian- 
ites appear to have been the virtual rulers of Arabia, combining into a grand 
confederacy, and then guiding or controlling, as circumstances required, all 
the Arabian brandies of the Hebrew race. One of the early kings of Edom, 
Hadad, " smote Midian in the field of Moab," Gen. xxxvi, 35. From this 
fact we may conclude that the Midianites were at that time settled on the 
eastern borders of Moab and Edom. Being an enterprising people, the Mid- 
ianites were not satisfied with the dull routine of pastoral and agricultural 
life. Some districts of Arabia, Eastern Palestine, and Lebanon yielded val- 
uable spices and perfumes, which were in great demand in Egypt, not merely 
for the luxuries of the living, but for the embalming of the dead. In this 
profitable trado the Midianites engaged. It was to one of their caravans 
passing through Palestine from Gilead to Egypt that Joseph was sold by his 
brethren, Gen. xxxvii, 25, etc. The historian calls these traders both 
Ishmaelites and Midianites, the two names being used synonymously. But the 



312 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

merchants in this caravan were, it seems, true Midianites, though they may 
have been accompanied by Ishmaelites, verses 28, 36; but compare 25, 27 
Midian is next mentioned in the history of Moses, when, having killed the 
Egyptian, be fled to the "land of Midian," Exod. ii, 15, and married a daugh- 
ter of a priest of Midian, 21. The portion of Midian here referred to was 
probably the peninsula of Sinai, for we read (Exod. iii, 1) that Moses led 
the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, " to the back side of the desert, and. 
came to the mountain of God, even Horeb; " and this agrees with a natural 
supposition that he did not flee far beyond the frontier of Egypt. It should, 
however, be remembered that the name of Midian was perhaps often applied, 
as that of the most powerful of the northern Arab tribes, to the northern 
Arabs generally, that is, those of the Abrahamic descent ; just as Bene-Kedem 
embraced all those people, and, with a wider signification, other Eastern 
tribes. If this reading of the name be correct, " Midian " would correspond 
very nearly with our modern word "Arab; " limiting, however, the modern 
word to the Arabs of the Northern and Egyptian deserts. All the Ishmaelite 
tribes of those deserts would thus be Midianites, as we call them Arabs, the 
desert being their " land." "We may suppose that the bulk of this nation 
inhabited the region extending from the eastward of Moab and Edom, per- 
haps along the frontier of Palestine, down to the shores of the eastern gulf 
of the Red Sea, and that some of the wandering branches of it were occa- 
sionally found in the Sinaitic peninsula. On the shores of this Eastern 
gulf the Arabian geographers have placed the ruins of a town called 
Madyan. 

The Midianites joined with Moab in inviting Balaam to curse the tribe of 
Israel, Num. xxii, 4-7. They did this because when the Israelites in their 
journey ings passed round the southern end of Edom they entered the 
proper territory of Midian. Balaam came ; but the Lord turned the intended 
curse into a blessing. But the prophet adopted another and effectual mode 
of injuring the Israelites. He persuaded the women of Moab and Midian 
to work upon the passions of the Israelites, and entice them to the licen- 
tious festival of their idols, and thus bring upon them the curse of heaven, 
Num. xxv. Terrible vengeance then fell upon Midian. Their cities and 
castles were burned; all the males that fell into the hands of the conquerors 
were put to death, and with them all the married females; and the young 
women and children were reduced to slavery. Moses' account of this war, 
as found in Num. xxxi, shows us that the Midianites had much wealth and 
many cities. They were governed, it would seem, by several chiefs, heads, 
perhaps, of separate clans ; and they were apparently under some sort of 
vassalage to the Amoritish King Sihon, Josh, xiii, 21, their settlements 
extending into his country. In later times, when they overran Palestine 
in conjunction with the Amalekites, penetrating to the Philistine plain, and 
coming with their cattle and their tents, as if to establish themselves there, 
they were also commanded by a number of chiefs or kings. Seven years 
they prevailed against Israel, till Gideon was raised up as a deliverer. 
Then so entirely were they defeated that we read little more of them in the 
sacred history, Judg. vi, vii, viii. See also Psa. lxxxiii, 9; Isa. ix, 4; 
lx, 6 ; Judith ii, 26. They seem henceforth to be comprehended under the 
general name of Arabian. 

Recent investigations have shown that the whole desert east of Edom 
and Moab is thickly studded with the ruins of ancient cities an d castles. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 313 

Every-where there are evidences of partial cultivation in former days, and 
also traces of a comparatively dense population. 

Mid'ianites. See Mldian. 

Mig'dal-E'dar. See Edar, Tower of. 

Mig'dal-EL tower of God, one of the fenced cities of Naphtali, Josh, xix, 38. 
The name Migdal was, and still is, very common in Palestine. Concerning 
the site of the Migdal in question there are several conjectures. Three 
miles north of Tiberias, on the sea-shore, is a small village, with ancient 
ruins, called Mejdel, the Arabic representative of Migdal, and now identified 
with the Magdala of the N. T. Dr. Robinson considers this as probably 
Identical with Migdal-El. In Van de Yelde's map a village called Mejdel 
Selim is placed near the northern extremity of the mountains of Naphtali, 
the position of which, Mr. Porter thinks, would seem to agree with that of 
Migdal-El. Mr. Grove mentions a place called Mujeidel on the Wady Ker- 
lcerah, near Yar&n, which he conjectures may mark the site of the town in 
question. 

Mig'dal-Gad, tower of Gad, that is, the ancient idol. A town of Judah 
situated in the plain of Philistia, apparently to the north-west of Laehish, 
mentioned only in Josh, xv, 37-39. Although apparently mentioned by 
Eusebius and Jerome as " Magdala," it seems to have been unknown by 
them. About two miles east of Ascalon is a large and prosperous village 
called Mejdel, surrounded by orchards and cultivated fields. This may 
mark the site of Migdal-Gad. Many traces of antiquity are found among the 
houses, such as large hewn stones and broken columns. 

Mig'dol, (Map 2,) a tower, the name of one or two places on the eastern 
frontier of Egypt. 

1. A place near the head of the western arm of the Red Sea, Exod. xiv, 2 ; 
Num. xxxiii, 7, 8. 

2. A city on the north-eastern border of Lower Egypt. Although thought 
by some identical with No. 1, it seems highly probable that it was a different 
place. A colony of Jews settled here after the destruction of Jerusalem, 
Jer. xliv, 1 ; xlvi, 14. It seems to have been an important town, and not 
merely a fort or military settlement. Ezekiel, in prophesying the desolation 
of Egypt, couples Migdol with Syene in the extreme south, " from Migdol to 
Syene," Ezek. xxix, 10, margin; xxx, 6, margin. Probably this Migdol is 
the Magdol mentioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus as a town in Egypt about 
twelve Roman miles southward of Pelusium. 

Migron, precipice. This name occurs in 1 Sam. xiv, 2, in the description 
of the successful attack of Jonathan upon the Philistines at Michmash ; 
" Saul tarried . . . under a pomegranate-tree, which is in Migron. 11 In Isa. 
x, 28, the prophet, giving the route of the Assyrian army toward Jerusalem, 
says, "He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath 
laid up his carriages." Whether Migron was a rock or a town is not 
determined. Some suppose that two places are indicated by these two 
Scripture passages. The Migron of Isaiah seems a little further north than 
that noted in 1 Samuel. Mr. Porter thinks that Migron may possibly lie in oi 
close to the southern brow of the ravine now called Wady Suweinit. There 
are many commanding cliffs and several ruined villages in the region round 
Geba and Michmash; but no identification of the site of Migron can be had. 

Mile turn, 2 Tim. iv, 20. The same as the following. 

Miletus, (Map 8,) a city and sea-port of Ionia in Asia Minor, about thirty 

15 



314 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

miles south of Ephesus. St. Paul touched here on his voyage from Greece 
to Syria, and delivered to the elders of Ephesus, who had come to meet him 
there, a remarkable and affecting address, Acts xx, 15-38. In 2 Tim. iv, 20, 
it is stated that Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletum. In Acts xxi, 29, we 
rind Trophimus with the apostle at Jerusalem at the close of the jourrey 
above mentioned. To solve this apparent contradiction, some think there 
was a Miletum in Crete ; but the difficulty is settled in the supposition of a 
journey made by the apostle after his first imprisonment at Rome. Various 
combinations are possible. See Conybeare and Howson's Life and Epistles 
of St. Paul. 

Miletus was the old capital of Ionia, though Ptolemy assigns it to Caria. 
It is said to have had fcur havens, one of which was capable of holding a 
fleet. Several men of renown were natives of this place — Thales, Timotheus, 
Anaximander, Anaximenes, Democritus. The city had an evil reputation 
for licentiousness and luxury. The remains of Miletus were probably ab- 
sorbed in the swamp formed by the silting up of the Meander ; so that the 
site of the city, which was once on the coast, is now ten miles inland. The 
ruined site bears the name of Melas. An insignificant village stands near 
it, and there are yet visible the ruins of the once magnificent temple of 
Apollo. 

Millo, (Map 7 ,) fullness or filling in, rampart, fortres*. The definite article 
(in Hebrew) is always prefixed, "The Millo." It is the name given to part 
of the citadel of Jerusalem, probably the rampart. It seems to have been 
in existence when David took the city from the Jebusites, see 2 Sam . v, 9 ; 
1 Chron. xi, 8. Its repair or restoration was one of the great works for 
which Solomon raised his levy, 1 Kings ix, 15, 24; xi, 27 ; and it formed 
a prominent part of the fortifications by which Hezekiah prepared for the 
approach of the Assyrians, 2 Chron. xxxii, 5. In this last text the Septua- 
gint has " the fortifications of the city of David." Sepp places this fort at 
the extreme north of the city, near the Damascus gate. Grove says Millo was 
" possibly the citadel, the akra or fortress on Mount Zion, but very doubtful." 

Millo, The House op. 

1. Perhaps a clan at Shechem, mentioned only in Judg. ix, 6, 20. Noth- 
ing is known of it. 

2. The spot at which King Joash was murdered by his slaves, 2 Kings 
xii, 20 ; probably the Millo of the preceding article. 

Min'ni, perhaps division, a portion of Armenia, Jer. li, 27 ; perhaps the 
region of the Manavasozi, near the center of Armenia. 

Minnith, (Map 5,) probably allotment, a place east of the Jordan, probably 
between Heshbon and Rabbath-Ammon. It is named as the point to which 
Jephthah's slaughter of the Ammonites extended, Judg. xi, 33. In Ezek. 
xxvii, 17, the "wheat of Minnith" is mentioned as being supplied by Judah 
and Israel to Tyre, but it is not absolutely certain that the same Minnith is 
intended. Minnith still existed in the time of Eusebius, four Roman miles 
from Heshbon, on the road to Philadelphia. It is thus put down on 
Keipert's map, but its site is not yet established. 

Miph'kad, (Map 9,) appointed place, number, one of the gates of Jerusalem, 
probably hi the city of David, on the north side, Neh. iii, 31. 

Mis' gab, the high place, a name occurring in Jer. xlviii, 1, where the 
prophet in pronouncing the doom of Moab says, " Kiriathaim is confounded 
and taken ; Misgab is confounded and dismayed." Some suppose that the 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 315 

word should here be translated " the high place," and that thus it would be 
synonymous with and descriptive of Kiriathaim. The words "fortress 
of the high fort," in Isa. xxv, 12, may perhaps refer to Misgab. Possibly 
Misgab is identical with Mizpeh of Moab named only in 1 Sam. xxiii, 3. 

Mi'shal and Mi'sheal, entreaty, a place in Asher allotted to the Ger- 
shonite Levites, Josh, xix, 26 ; xxi, 30. It is not known. See Mashal. 

Mish'raites, from a root which may signify slippery place, natives of a 
town colonized from Kirjath-Jearim, 1 Chron. ii, 53. Nothing is certainly 
known of them. Probably they founded the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. 

Mis'rephoth-Ma'im, (Map 5,) burnings of water or burnings by the water, 
a place near Zidon, Josh, xi, 8 ; xiii, 6. Drs. Thomson and Schultz attempt 
to identify it with a ruin called Mushtirefeh, on the northern border of the 
plain of Akka, near Ras en-Nakara. This seems too far south. Grove 
thinks it u not impossibly Zarephath." But the site, as well as the meaning 
of the name, are as yet only conjectural. 

Mith'cah, probably place of sweetness, or sweet fountain, one of the unknown 
encampments in the desert, Num. xxxiii, 28, 29. 

Mith'nite, a native of an unknown place called Methen, 1 Chron. xi, 43. 

Mityle'ne, (Map 8,) the capital of the Isle of Lesbos, in the iEgean Sea, 
about seven miles and a half from the opposite point on the coast of Asia 
Minor. St. Paul touched at Mitylene in his voyage from Corinth to Judea, 
Acts xx, 14, 15. It was noted for its beauty, riches, and literary renown. 
Among the natives were Sappho, Alcaeus, Pittacus, and Theophrastus. 
Mitylene still exists, and has given its name to the whole island. The 
modern town, a place of little importance, is called sometimes Mitylen, and 
sometimes Castro. 

Mi'zar, smallness ; " the hill Mizar," or " the little hill," a hill mentioned 
only in Psa. xlii, 6. It is apparently in the north part of trans-Jordanic 
Palestine. 

Miz pah and Miz pen, (Map 5,) watch-tower, lofty place. A name borne 
by several places in ancient Palestine. Every Mizpah was a station of ob- 
servation, commanding a wide view, from which friend or foe could be seen 
and signaled. 

1. On Mount Gilead; also called Mizpeh of Gilead, Judg. xi, 29; and else- 
where probably Ramoth-Mizpah and Ramath-Gilead. It was named by 
Laban from the heap of stones set up by him and Jacob to serve as a wit- 
ness of their covenant, and as a landmark of the boundary between them, 
Gen. xxxi, 23, 25, 48, 52. Here also the armies of Israel and the Ammon- 
ites encamped, Judg. x, 17; xi, 11, 29; and Jephthah dwelt here, verse 34. 
Mention is made of Mizpah in Judg. xx, 1,3; xxi, 1, 5, 8, concerning the 
gathering there of Israel. "With the other cities of Gilead, Mizpah was 
taken by the Maccabees, 1 Mace, v, 35. Mr. Porter (in Kitto) says: "About 
three miles north-west of Es-Salt [Ramoth-Gilead] is the highest peak east 
of the Jordan. ... Its top is broad and flat, and would form a fine gather- 
ing-place for a nation of warriors. . . . The peak is now called Jebel Osh'a, 
' the hill of Hosea,' because upon its top is a gigantic tomb said to be that 
of the prophet. It is probable that this is the true site of ' Mizpeh of 
Gilead,' the gathering-place of the Eastern tribes." See Hand-book. But 
there are strong reasons for believing the place mentioned in the passages 
in Judges last referred to to be the Mizpeh No. 6, below. 

2. Mizpeh of Moab, where the king of that nation was living when David 



316 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

committed his parents to his care, 1 Sam. xxii, 3. The site is unknown, but 
possibly at Kir-Moab, now Kerak. 

3. The Land of Mizpeh, somewhere in the north of Palestine, the residence 
of the Hivites who joined the northern confederacy against Israel, Josh, xi, 3. 
Possibly this may be identical with 

4. The Yalley of Mizpeh, Josh, xi, 3, 8, to which the discomfited hosts of 
the same confederacy were pursued by Joshua. This is, perhaps, the 
modern Bukd'a, that enormous tract, the great country of Coele-Syria, be- 
tween the ranges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. 

5. A city in the lowland of Judah, Josh, xv, 38. This possibly is iden- 
tical with the modern Tell es- Softy eh. But the southern part of this plain 
abounds in little tells, to any one of which the name of Mizpeh might be 
applicable. 

6. A city in Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 26. Here Israel assembled, 1 Sam. vii, 
5-7, 11, 12, 16. See also Mizpeh, (1,) above, in connection with Judg. xx, 
1, 3; xxi, 1, 5, 8. Here Saul was elected king, 1 Sam. xi, 17-21. Asa 
fortified Mizpah, 1 Kings xv, 22; 2 Chron. xvi, 6; and it was the place 
where Gedaliah was assassinated, 2 Kings xxv, 23, 25 ; Jer. xl, 6-15 ; 
xli, 1-16. Nehemiah states that the men of Gibeon and Mizpah were joined 
in rebuilding a part of the wall of Jerusalem, Neh. hi, 7, 15, 19. The 
Massepha of 1 Mace, iii, 46, which is probably identical with this place, and 
which was " over against Jerusalem," indicates that Mizpeh was in sight of 
Jerusalem. About four or five miles west of north from Jerusalem is the 
modern village of Neby Samwil, standing on a peak which rises about six 
hundred feet above the plain of Gibeon, and which is the most conspicuous 
object in the whole region. This village is claimed as the most probable 
site for Mizpeh by Robinson, Porter, and others. See Map 6. Eusebius 
and Jerome locate Mizpeh near Kirjath-Jearim. But Mr. Grove, agreeing 
with Professor Stanley and Dr. Bonar, presents strong reasons for putting 
Mizpeh on the Scopus of Joseph us, one of the summits of the ridge north of 
Jerusalem. It is the "broad ridge which forms the continuation of the 
Mount of Olives to the north and east, from which the traveler gains, like 
Titus, his first view, and takes his last farewell of the domes, walls, and 
towers of the Holy City." Speaking of the term " over against," Mr. Porter 
says: "Any scholar who visits Jerusalem and studies the narrative in 
1 Mace, iii, will admit that it is as applicable to Neby Samwil as to Scopus." 
See an interesting discussion by Mr. Grove in Smith's Dictionary, and by 
Mr. Porter in Kitto's Cyclopaedia. Also Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, 
p. 222. 

In 2 Chron. xx, 24, mention is made of a " watch-tower (Mizpeh) in the 
wilderness" of Judah, in connection with the miraculous destruction of the 
Ammonites and Moabites who invaded Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat. 
It was probably a noted tower or castle between Tekoa and Engedi, but 
nothing is known concerning it. The Mizpah of Hosea v, 1, may be either 
that of Gilead or of Benjamin, it is wholly uncertain which. 

Miz'raim, (Maps 2, 12,) the two Egypts, or Land of Mizraim, the name 
by which Egypt is generally designated in Scripture. It is usually employed 
to designate the whole of Egypt, but in Isa. xi, 11, it designates Lower 
Egypt as distinct from Pathros or Upper Egypt. See Egypt. 

Mo'ab, (Maps 4, 5,) probably from father, or possibly the desirable land. 
The name Moab is applied both to the son of Lot by his eldest daughter, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 317 

(Oen. xix, 37,) and to the well-known nation of which Moab was the 
progenitor. The land of Moab is on the east of the Dead Sea. From the 
neighborhood of Zoar the children of Lot must have extended themselves: 
Ammon to the more distant north-east country, previously inhabited by the 
Zuzim or Zamzummim ; Moab in the districts nearer the original seat. Here 
lived the Emim, a gigantic race, a branch probably of the Rephaim ; but the 
Moabites were successful in expelling them, (Deut. ii, 9, 10,) and occupied at 
first a considerable region, the uplands east of the Dead Sea and the Jordan 
as far as the mountains of Gilead, together with the lowlands between their 
own hills and the river — a region perhaps fifty miles in length and ten or 
twelve broad — the celebrated Belka and Kerrak of the modern Arabs, the 
most fertile on that side of Jordan. It comprised three divisions, the 
"country" or "field" of Moab to the south of the Arnon, Ruth i, 1, 2, 6; 
the "land" of Moab, the open country opposite Jericho to the Gileadite 
hills, Deut. i, 5 ; and the " plains," or more properly the arid district in the 
Jordan sunk valley, Num. xxii, 1. Of the valuable district of the highlands 
they were not allowed to retain entire possession. The warlike Amorites, 
crossing the Jordan from the west, overran the richer portion of the terri- 
tory on the north, driving Moab back to his original position behind the 
Arnon. The plain of the Jordan valley appears to have remained in the 
power of Moab. When Israel reached the boundary of the country this 
contest had only very recently occurred. Sihon, the Amorite king, under 
whose command Heshbon had been taken, was still reigning there — the 
ballads commemorating the event being still fresh in the popular mouth, 
Num. xxi, 27-30. After such losses Moab might well dread the advancing 
hosts of the Israelites. "Moab was sore afraid of the people," Num. xxii, 
3, 4. Their country, though now very much smaller, was yet more secure 
than formerly. It was now bounded north by the vast chasm of the Arnon, 
Num. xxi, 13 ; Judg. xi, 18 ; on the west by the precipices or cliffs, descend- 
ing almost perpendicularly to the sea, and intersected only by one or two 
steep and narrow passes ; and on the east and south by a circle of hills 
which open only to allow the passage of a branch of the Arnon and another 
of the torrents which descend to the Dead Sea. It was well watered, with 
valleys and wide plains among its hills ; it was fruitful, and its downs af- 
forded abundant pasture, Ruth i, 1 ; Isa. xvi, 8, 10 ; 2 Kings hi, 4. Ar or 
Rabbath-Moab wa3 the metropolis, and Kir or Kir-Hareseth was one of the 
strongest fortresses. As the Hebrews advanced in order to take possession 
of Canaan they did not enter the proper territory of the Moabites, Deut. ii, 9 ; 
Judg. xi, 18; but conquered the kingdom of the Amorites (a Canaanitish 
tribe) which had belonged to Moab, whence the western part, lying along 
the Jordan, frequently occurs under the name of "land of Moab," Deut. i, 5; 
xxix, 1. The Moabites, fearing the numbers that were marching around 
them, showed them at least no kindness; and Balak, King of Moab, in con- 
junction with the Midianites, hired Balaam to utter prophetic curses against 
Israel, which, however, the Lord turned into blessings in his mouth, Num. 
xxii, 2-6 ; xxiv, 1—10. For this unfriendliness a prohibition was made against 
admitting a Moabite into the congregation of the Lord to the tenth genera- 
tion, Deut. xxiii, 3-5. The Moabites (combining with the more guilty Mid- 
ianites) were more successful in debauching the Israelites, and bringing a 
heavy retribution upon them for the idolatry and immorality into which 
they had enticed them, Num. xxv, 1-5. The Gadites now took possession 



318 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of the northern portion of the territory which the Amorites had wrested 
from the Moabites, and there established themselves ; while the Reubenites 
eettled in the southern part, Num. xxxii, 34. (Compare Josh, xiii, which, 
however, differs somewhat in the designation of particular towns.) 

In Deut. xxix we have the covenant which Moses made with the children 
of Israel in the land of Moab. From Deut. xxiv we learn that Moses viewed 
the Promised Land from a Moabite sanctuary, and that he died and was 
buried in the land of Moab. 

After the settlement in Palestine, Moab, in conjunction with Ammon and 
Amalek, subjected the southern tribes of Israel, and perhaps also part of 
the trans-Jordanic territory ; but Ehud delivered Israel after a servitude of 
eighteen years, Judg. iii, 12-30. Toward the end of this period, however, 
peace and friendship were restored, mutual honors were reciprocated, and 
Moab appears often to have afforded a place of refuge to outcasts and emi- 
grant Hebrews, Ruth i, 1 ; compare 1 Sam. xxii, 3, 4 ; Jer. xl, 1 1 ; Isa. 
xvi, 2. Saul waged successful war against Moab, 1 Sam. xiv, 47 ; and David 
made it tributary, 2 Sam. viii, 2, 12 ; xxiii, 20. On the death of Ahab, Moab 
refused to pay the customary tribute of lambs and rams, 2 Kings i, 1 ; iii, 4; 
compare Isa. xvi, 1. Jehoram, though in conjunction with Jehoshaphat and 
his dependent, the King of Edom, he wasted the country, yet was unable to 
reconquer it, 2 Kings iii, 6-21. The Moabites and Ammonites had pre- 
viously attacked Jehoshaphat, but were entirely defeated, 2 Chron. xx, 1-25; 
and we find them making incursions in the reign of Joash into the kingdom 
of Israel, 2 Kings xiii, 20, 21 ; but we may reasonably suppose them to have 
been brought under by Jeroboam II., 2 Kings xiv, 25-28. After the carry- 
ing away of the trans-Jordanic tribes into captivity, the Moabites doubtless 
occupied their territory, Isa. xv, 2, 4; xvi, 8; Jer. xlviii, 2, 22, 23, and 
; ;hey were then probably in possession of all they had formerly lost to the 
Amorites. The Moabites joined the Chaldeans against Jehoiakim, 2 Kings 
xxiv, 2 ; but encouraged Zedekiah against Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. xxvii, 3. 
They beheld with malicious satisfaction the destruction of the kindred peo- 
ple of Judah, Ezek. xxv, 8-11 ; Zeph. ii, 8-10. According to Josephus, Neb- 
uchadnezzar, on his way to Egypt, made war upon them, and subdued them, 
together with the Ammonites, five years after the destruction of Jerusalem. 

After the return from the captivity it was a Moabite, Sanballat. of Horo- 
naim, who took the chief part in annoying and endeavoring to hinder tho 
operations in the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Neb. ii, 19 ; iv, 1 ; soon after the 
captivity, also, Moabites and Ammonites are represented as dwelling in their 
ancient seats and as obeying the call of the Assyrian general, Judith iv, 3. 
Thenceforth the name of the Moabites is lost under that of the Arabians, as 
was also the case with Ammon and Edom. 

The form of government in Moab we may suppose was monarchical, the 
chiefs possessing also considerable influence, Num. xxii, 8, 10, 14; xxiii, 5. 
The religion was idolatrous, their deities being Baal-Peor and Chemosh, Num. 
xxv, 1-3 ; 1 Kings xi, 7. 

Several of the prophets predicted the desolation of Moab; and the subjec- 
tion of Moab finds a place in every ideal description of splendid wars and 
golden ages predicted for Israel, Isa. xi, 14; xv; xvi; Jer. xxv, 21 ; Amos 
ii, 1-3 ; Zeph. ii, 8-11 ; Psa. lx, 8. These predictions find their fulfillment in 
the desolation of the whole region east of the Jordan. Although the sites, 
the ruins, and the names of many ancient cities of Moab can bo traced, not 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 319 

one of them exists at the present day as tenanted by man. The (American) 
Palestine Exploration Society have discovered many interesting ruins. See 
Perea. For the "Moabite Stone," see Dibon. 

Mo'abites, Mo'abitess. Natives of the land of Moab. Gen. xix, 37 ; 
Ruth i, 22, etc. 

Moch'mur, Te3] Brook, a wady, or torrent, mentioned only in Judith 
vii, 18, as specifying the position of Ekrebel. This "brook" may be either 
the Wady Makfariyeh, on the northern slopes of which stands Akrabeh, south- 
east of Nablas, or the Wady Ahmar, which is the continuation of the former 
eastward. 

Mo'din, the native place of the Maccabees, 1 Mace, ii, 1, 15, 23, TO; 
ix, 19; xiii, 25, 30; xvi, 4; 2 Mace, xiii, 14. It occupied a distinguished 
place in Jewish history during the rule of the Asmonaean family. It con- 
tained then* ancestral sepulcher. Eusebius and Jerome appear to have 
known the place, locating it near Diospolis, (Lydda.) 

Possibly the site of Modin may be at the village called Latron, fifteen Ro- 
man miles from Jerusalem in the mouth of Wady 'Aly, where it opens from 
the mountains of Judea into the plain. Here is a high conical tell, crowned 
with the ruins of a large fortress. Kubdb, two miles further from Jerusalem, 
is also claimed as the site ; but here no ruins seem to exist. 

Mol'adah, birth, lineage, a city in the extreme south of Judah, grouped 
with Kedesh, Beersheba, and other places, Josh, xv, 21-26. "With Beersheba 
it was afterward assigned to the tribe of Simeon, Josh, xix, 2 ; and occupied 
by the family of Shimei, 1 Chron. iv, 28. Some of the returned captives 
settled there, Neh. xi, 26. 

About twenty geographical miles south of Hebron, on the road leading to 
Aila in the Red Sea, and ten east of Beersheba, are the ruins of an ancient 
fortified town now called el-Milh, which probably mark the site of Moladah. 
Tu r o ancient wells here found make the spot a favorite watering-place. 

Mo'rasthite, Jer. xxvi, 18 ; Mich. il. A native of Moresheth, which see. 

Mo'reh, teacher. 

1. The name of an oak, or grove of oaks, near Shechem, the first recorded 
halting-place of Abram after his entrance into the land of Canaan, Gen. 
xu, 6. The oak and terebinth seem to have been greatly venerated anciently 
in Palestine. Many of them were distinguished by proper names, Gen. 
xxxv, 8 ; under their shade altars were erected, councils held, and celebrated 
persons buried. Possibly this oak took its name from some Canaanitish 
chief by the name of Moreh. Moreh is again mentioned on the entrance of 
the Israelites into Canaan, Deut. xi, 30. 

2. A " hill " in the plain of Jezreel, at whose base the camp of the Midi- 
anites was pitched, Judg. vii, 1, 12. It is probably identical with Jebel ed- 
Duhy, or "little Hermon." 

More'sheth-Gath, or Mo'resheth-Gath, possession of the wine-press, a 
place named with Lachish, Achzib, Mareshah, and other towns of the low- 
laad district of Judah, Micah i, 14. Micah is called "the Morasthite," 
Micah i, 1; Jer, xxvi, 18; but whether Moresheth-Gath is the Moresheth of 
which the prophet was a native is not certain; but possibly they are the 
same. Dr. Thomson inclines to identify this place with Mareshah, which he 
regarded as a "suburb" of Cath. He says, {The Land and the Book, vol. 
ii, p. 360:) "Micah probably wrote Moresheth-Gath in order to fix the loca- 
tion of the suburb by the name of the main city." But the affix "g;ith" 



320 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 



may possibly refer to vineyards, the signification of " gath " being a wine- 
press. Good authorities differ from Dr. Thomson, but no satisfactory site 
has been suggested. 

Mori ah, (Map 7,) variously interpreted — the appearance of Jehovah, the 
chosen of Jehovah, Jehovah is thine instructor. See Jehovah- Jireh. 

The name Moriah occurs in two passages only. In Gen. xxii, 2, Abraham 
is directed to go into the "land of Moriah," and tl'ere to offer up his son as 
a sacrifice. In 2 Chron. iii, 1, it is stated that Solomon began to build the 
temple at Jerusalem " in Mount Moriah." The Jews, "in uninterrupted suc- 
cession," declare these two sites to be identical; and with this theory ordi- 
nary Christian interpretation agrees. A Samaritan tradition claims that 
Gerizim was the scene of Abraham's sacrifice, and that the mountains of 
Gerizim and Ebal, from their neighborhood to Jdoreh, a spot well known to 
Abraham, were the mountains in the land of Moriah. Dean Stanley, follow- 
ing this tradition, uses some strong arguments in favor of Gerizim as the 
scene of the event in question. (Sinai and Palestine, pp. 246-248.) But this 
identification cannot be maintained. Moriah was higher in Abraham's time 
than afterward, when its summit was leveled to receive the Temple; and 
if that summit could not be seen " afar off," as Stanley alleges it could not 
be, still the heights about Jerusalem could readily be seen from the ridge 
Mar Elias. And this would fulfill the requirements of the passage which 
Gesenius translates "the land about Moriah." Besides, the terms "afar off" 
are evidently not employed to signify any considerable interval, Gen. xxii, 4, 5. 
Moreover, it is quite improbable that in the specified time the journey could 
have been made from Beersheba to Gerizim. 

Some authorities claim that Moriah was also the place where Christ was cru- 
cified and buried. S. Smith, M. A., has written a valuable little treatise on 
" The Temple and the Sepulcher," (London, 1865,) in which, claiming 
Calvary and Moriah as identical, the author says: "Nothing is more clear 
than that, after the resurrection of Christ, the heathen did all they could to 
desecrate the spot and to hide it from his disciples. For this purpose they 
covered it with earth, and raised over it a temple to Venus, and made their 
blood-offerings to her on the altar. And, to crown the indignity, we may 
well suppose that they pierced through the floor of the sacred cave [the 
" Cave of Rock"] to discharge the refuse from the altar sacrifices above it. 
That being the case, I claim the abomination as another proof that what 
is now the dome of the rock was the church built by Constantino over the 
Sepulcher of Christ." See Calvary ; Jerusalem. 

Mose'rah and Mose'roth, (Map 2,) bond, bonds. Mosera in Deut. x, 6, 
apparently the same as Moseroth, its plural form in Num. xxxiii, 30, 31, is 
the name of a place near Mount Hor, and the scene of Aaron's death. 

Mo'zah, a going forth, a fountain, a town of Benjamin, grouped with 
Mizpeh and Chephireh, Josh, xviii, 26. The site of Mozah is not determined ; 
but possibly it may be at Kulonieh, about four miles west of Jerusalem. Seo 
Emmaus. 

Myn'dus, (Map 8,) a town of Caria, between Miletus and .Halicarnassus, 
1 Mace, xv, 23. It seems to have been a place favorable for trade, and 
many Jews settled there. The modern name is Mentesche. Some ancient 
remains are found. 

My'ra, (Map 8,) a sea-port of Lycia., in Asia Minor. It lay about twenty 
furlongs from the sea, upon a rising ground, at the foot of which flowed a 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 321 

navigable river, with an excellent harbor at its mouth. When Paul was on 
his voyage from Csesarea to Rome he and the other prisoners were landed 
here, and were re-embarked in a ship of Alexandria bound to Rome, Acts 
xxvii, 5. The town is now called Dembra by the Greeks, and is remarkable 
for its remains of various periods of history. 

My'sia, (Map 8,) criminal, the north-western province of Asia Minor. 
Paul passed through Mysia, and embarked at Troas, on his first voyage to 
Europe, Acts xvi, 7, 8. Troas, though within the same range of country, 
had a small district of its own, which was viewed as politically separate. 
Mysia, although now poorly tilled, is one of the finest tracts in Asia Minor. 

Na'amah, pleasant, a city in the lowland of Judah, grouped with Lachish, 
Eglon, a.nd Makkedah, Josh, xv, 41. It is not identified. 

Na'amathite, one of Naamah, one of Job's three friends, Zophar, who 
evidently lived in a place called Naamah, Job ii, 11, etc. Uz, the country 
of Job, was in Arabia ; Eliphaz, the Temanite, and Bildad, the Shuhile, Job's 
other two friends, were Arabians ; hence it seems reasonable to conclude 
that Zophar was also from some place in Arabia. But no identification of 
Naamah has been made. 

Na'aran, puerile, juvenile, a town mentioned in 1 Chron. vii, 28, as the 
eastern limit of Ephraim. It was probably identical with Naarath, which 
see. 

Na'arath, (Hebrew, Naarah,) a girl, handmaid, a town named in Josh, 
xvi, 7, as one of the landmarks on the (southern) boundary of Ephraim. It 
seems to have been in the Jordan valley, north of Jericho. Eusebius de- 
scribes it as " a village of Ephraim, now Oorath, (Jerome, Naoraih,) a village 
of the Jews five miles from Jericho." Kiepert's map locates Naaratlia at 
about that distance north of Jericho ; but the site of the town is not yet 
identified. 

Na'bathites, 1 Mace, v, 25 ; ix, 35. See Nebaioth. 

Na'chon, prepared, the threshing-floor by which Uzzah died, between 
Kirjath-Jearim and Jerusalem, 2 Sam. vi, 6. It is called Chidon in 1 Chron. 
xiii, 9. After the death of Uzzah it received the name of Perez-Uzzah. Ihe 
site is unknown. 

Nadab'atha, the city from which the children of Jambri were conducting 
a bride with music and great pomp when attacked and slaughtered by Jon- 
athan and Simon, to avenge the death of their brother John, 1 Mace, ix, 37. 
It lay, probably, east of the Jordan ; but no identification has been made. 

Na'halal, Nahal'lal, and Na'halol, pasture, a town in Zebulun, afterward 
assigned to the Merarite Levites, Josh, xix, 15; xxi, 35; Judg. i, 30. 
Schwartz, Van de Velde, and others would identify Nahalal with the mod- 
ern village and ruins of Maltil, four miles west of Nazareth — a theory sug- 
gested, probably, from one Hebrew MS. which, in Josh, xxi, 35, reads 
Alahalol. Mr. Porter thinks Malul to be more probably the site of the ancient 
Maralah. See Maralah. 

Naha'liel, (Map 2,) valley of God, a station of the Israelites, Num. xxi, 1 9. 
It was north of the Arnon, and not far from Pisgah. Possibly the name is 
preserved in that of the Wady Enkheileh, a branch of the Mojib, the ancient 
Arnon. This suggestion, to say the least, may prove of value to future 
travelers. 

Na in, (Map 5,) beauty, pleasantness, a town in Galilee, mentioned only in 



322 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 




NA1N. 



Luke vii, 11. One 
of Christ's greatest 
miracles occurred 
here, the raising of 
the widow's son to 
life. The place still 
exists under the 
name of Nein. It 
is situated on the 
north-western edge 
of the " Little Her- 
mon," or Jebel ed- 
Duhy, where the 
ground falls into 
the plain of Esdra- 
elon. Dr. Thomson 
says, "It took me 
just an hour to ride 
from the foot of 
Tabor to Nain." 
The site is very- 
beautiful, but the 
village is a small, 
poor hamlet of about 
twenty houses or huts, around which are quite extensive ruins. The most 
interesting remains are the tombs, hewn in the rock, a short distance east 
of the village. 

Na'ioth, habitations, a place in or near Ramah, where Samuel abode with 
his disciples, and whither David fled to him, 1 Sam. xix, 18, 19, 22, 23; 
xx, 1. Probably Naioth was the dwelling of a school of prophets, and not 
a town or village. 

Na'phish, recreated, refreshment, the name of the tribe and nation which 
sprang from Ishmael's son, Naphish, Gen. xxv, 15; 1 Chron. i, 31. In 
1 Chron. v, 19, Nephish. This seems to have been a numerous tribe, and 
very rich in cattle. They probably intermarried with other and more 
powerful nations of Arabia, and thus lost their own individuality as a tribe. 
Their locality has not yet been determined. 

Naph'tali, (Map 5,) my wrestling. In the New Testament the form Neph- 
thalim is employed. This was one of the tribes of Israel, sprung from the 
son of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel's maid, Gen. xxx, 8; xxxv, 25 ; Exod. i, 4; 
1 Chron. ii, 2. 

At the first census after leaving Egypt the tribe numbered fifty-three 
thousand four hundred, Num. i, 42, 43. Its place on the march was north 
of the tabernacle, under the standard of Dan, Num. ii, 25, 29; x, 25, 2t. At 
the second census, in the plains of Moab, the number had diminished to 
forty-five thousand four hundred, Num. xxvi, 48-50. 

The blessing which Jacob pronounced upon Naphtali (Gen. xlix, 21) was 
intended to shadow forth under poetic imagery the future character and 
history of the tribe : " Naphtali is a hind let loose : he giveth goodly words." 
The qualities shown by the tribe were those of a "hind" — timid and dis- 
trustful of its own powers, swift of foot to elude its enemies, but when 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 323 

brought to bay, fierce and strong to defend its life. They left several of 
their cities in the hands of the Canaanites, Judg. i, 33 ; they had not confi- 
dence to fight alone, but when assailed they made a noble defense, and 
united with others in pursuit of a flying foe, Judg. v, 18; vi, 35. Their 
want of self-confidence was chiefly shown in the case of Barak, and then, 
too, they displayed in the end heroic devotion and unwearied alacrity, Judg. 
iv, 6-10; v, 18. "He giveth goodly words," indicated that the tribe was to 
be famous for the beauty of its language. Probably there were poets and 
writers among them whose names have not come down to us. We have 
one noble ode ascribed in part at least to a Naphtalite, Judg. v, 1. 

The blessing of Moses had reference to the nature of the territory occu- 
pied by Naphtali: "0 Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the bless- 
ing of the Lord, possess thou the west and the south," Deut. xxxiii. 33. A 
more literal and accurate rendering of the Hebrew would be, " Naphtali, 
replete with favors, and full of the blessings of Jehovah, possess thou the 
sea and Darom." " The sea and Darom " would signify the region by the 
Sea of Galilee, and the mountains to the north of it. 

The possessions allotted to Naphtali are described in Josh, xix, 32-39. 
They lay at the northern angle of Palestine. On the east they were bounded 
by the Jordan and the lakes of Merom and Galilee ; on the south by Zebu- 
lun; on the west by Asher; and on the north apparently by the river 
Leontes. Naphtali possessed a greater variety of soil, scenery, and climate 
than any of the other tribes. Its northern portions are the highlands of 
Palestine. The grand ravine of the Leontes separates its mountains from 
the chain of Lebanon, of which, however, they may be regarded as a pro- 
longation. The southern section of Naphtali was the garden of Palestine. 
Josephus described the plain on the shore of the lake, then called Gennes- 
aret, as an earthly paradise, where the choicest fruits grew luxuriantly, 
and where eternal spring reigned. And even now, though more a wilder- 
ness than a paradise, its surpassing richness is evident. The glowing accounts 
which modern travelers give of the fertility of this territory show that 
Naphtali was surely " satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the 
Lord." 

On account of its position Naphtali was in a great measure isolated from 
the Israelitish kingdom. The powerful Syrian expeditions usually passed 
along the east base of Hermon, and across the Jordan at Jacob's bridge. 
Hence the Naphtalites in their mountain fastnesses escaped their devasta- 
tions. But whenever the enemy marched through the Yalley of Ccele-Syria, 
then Naphtali bore the first brunt of the onset, and its chief cities, Ijon, 
Abel, Kadesh, and Hazor, were the first that fell, 1 Kings xv, 20 ; 2 Chron. 
xvi, 4. Naphtali was also the first tribe captured by the Assyrians, under 
Tiglath-Pileser, 2 Kings xv, 29; Isa. ix, 1. After the captivity the Israelites 
again settled largely in Naphtali, and its southern section became the most 
densely populated district in Palestine. It became the principal scene also 
of our Lord's public labors. After his brethren at Nazareth rejected and 
sought to kill him he came and dwelt in " Capernaum, which is upon the 
sea-coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Nephthalim," Matt, iv, 13. The 
new capital of Galilee had recently been built by Antipas, and called after 
the emperor Tiberias. Other towns — Magdala, Capernaum, Chorazin, and 
the two Bethsaidas — dotted the shore, which teemed with life and industry. 
Vast multitudes followed Jesus wherever he went, Mark ii. 1-12- Matt. xiii. 



324 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 



1-23, etc. Hero were spoken the greater number of Christ's beautiful para- 
bles, and here, too, was the scene of most of his miracles. Thus the beau- 
tiful prophecy of Isaiah, as quoted and applied by Matthew, (iv, 15, 16,) waa 
literally fulfilled. See Tiberias; Galilee, Sea op. 

Naph'tuhim, border-people, an Egyptian tribe, descendants of Mizraim, 
Gen. x, 13; 1 Chron. i, 11. Kalisch and some others seek to identify this 
people with the city of Naphata or Napata, the capital of an ancient Ethio- 
pian kingdom, and one of the most splendid cities in Africa. This city and 
its territory lay on the southern frontier of Mizraim, in the north of the 
province of Meroe, at the great bend of the Nile, and having the desert of 
Bahiuda on the south. Extensive and splendid ruins remain — pyramids, 
temples, sphinxes, and sculptures. Two lions, sculptured in red granite, 
have been brought from these ruins and are now in the British Museum. 

Na'sor, The Plain op, the scene of an engagement between Jonathan 
Maccabeus and Demetrius, 1 Mace, xi, 67. It is doubtless identical with 
the ancient Hazor, in Galilee. 

Naz'areth, (Map 5,) perhaps separated, branch, sanctified, but the signifi- 
cation is very doubtful. A town in Galilee, the residence of Joseph and 

Mary, Luke i, 26, 27, 56; ii, 4, 39; but 
chiefly celebrated as the home of our 
blessed Lord after the return from Egypt. 
This was the place of Christ's boyhood, 
the scene of his domestic relations, his 
private life, his mental development, his 
prayers and communion with the Father, 
and his early labors, Matt, ii, 23 ; Luke 
ii, 39, 51; Matt, iv, 13. When entering 
on his public life Jesus came from Naza- 
reth, Mark i, 9; Matt, iii, 13. Nazareth 
was now no longer his home, yet he re- 
turned thither, (Luke iv, 16,) and his fel- 
low-townsmen sought to kill him. After 
this he made Capernaum his residence, 
"his own city," Luke iv, 16-31; Matt, iv, 13-16; ix, 1. But again Christ 
visited Nazareth, and still "they were offended at him," Matt, xiii, 54-58; 
Mark vi, 1-6. For other interesting allusions to this city see John i, 45, 46 ; 
Acts ii, 22; iii, 6; iv, 10; x, 38; xxii, 8; xxvi, 9. 

Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, nor in any writer before 
the birth of Christ, nor is it found in any classic author ; yet its name has 
become a household word throughout Christendom. Splendid structures 
have been built to commemorate it, and thousands of pilgrimages have been 
made in honor of it. Not until the time of Constantine did it attract much 
attention, nor does it seem to have been visited by any pilgrims till about 
the sixth century. In the seventh century it contained two churches — one 
built over " the fountain," the other over the house of Mary, now occupied 
oy the Latin convent. During the Crusades its great church was rebuilt 
and richly endowed, and the town was made the seat of a bishop. 

The place still exists under the modern name of en-Ndsirah. It stands in 
an upland vale amid the hills of Galilee, two miles from the plain of Esdraelon 
and six west of Tabor. A girdle of rounded hills encircles it, giving that air 
of quiet, peaceful seclusion which constitutes its chief charm. " The narrow 




mj/i'. 




BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



327 




rugged glens 
that branch off 
in all directions 
among the hills 
seem as if made 
for meditation." 
The houses are 
substantially 
f*' built of stone, 

and are plain and neat, but 
the streets are narrow and 
filthy. The population is 
about 4,000. The men are 
better dressed and are bet- 
ter mannered than the peas- 
ants of Palestine usually are, 
while the women are justly 
celebrated for their grace 
and beauty. Quite a num- 
ber of traditional " holy 
places " are shown in and 
around Nazareth, but they 
have no historic basis. 

The accompanying Plan 
of the Valley of Nazareth, 
and the following explana- 
tion, are from the pen of Dr. J. S. Jewell, in an article contributed to the 
" Sunday-School Journal." Concerning two visits made by him (in 1869) 
to this valley, "or basin, as it may truly be called," Dr. Jewell says: 
" My first approach was made by the western road, marked 4 ; my next by 
one of the roads which descend into the eastern end of the valley. The 
usual camping place is indicated by number 5. Its length along the line 
A is about one mile and two fifths. It will be observed, as you follow the 
valley northward from its narrow, rocky south end, it expands and soon 
widens at figure 1 many hundred feet. This part is not very rocky, and 
has soma scattering olive and fig-trees on it, and some low, rude stone walls, 
dividing it into little patches sown in wheat, barley, etc. The hills on either 
hand are bare, rocky, and treeless, and rather steep. Many small valleys 



328 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

or ravines, hardly worthy the name, descend the hill-sides into the basin. 
From the time you first enter the valley at No. 7 you can see some of 
the houses of the town. You soon have to your right hand a rocky point 
or ridge coming down into the basin. The limestone here, as elsewhere, 
projects through the scanty soil. At the places marked 8 are several arti- 
ficial caves, probably once occupied as dwellings, now choked with rubbish. 
In that part of the valley (a few hundred feet wide) marked 9 are many 
hedges of the largest specimens of cactus I have ever met with anywhere, 
save in Galilee. Here are also many old olive and fig trees. The position 
of ths town, as will be seen, is on the west side of the valley, on the slopes 
of that part of it where, as you follow northward, it turns eastward. 
At No. 2, just out of the village to the north-east, is the Fountain of the 
Virgin, or Fountain of the Annunciation. At No. 3 is the little chapel of the 
Annunciation. The line B, drawn along the upper or eastern part of the 
valley, may represent its axis, and is somewhat less than a mile in length. 
The hills standing about this basin are highest in the direction of C, beyond 
which, on the highest point, is a small wely, or tomb of a sheik. From this 
a most extensive prospect is had of the surrounding country, especially 
south, west, and north. It has been well described by Dr. Robinson." 

Ne'ah, the shaking, a town on the eastern border of Zebulun, Josh, xix, 13. 
It lay between the valley of Jiphthah-el aud Japhia. About three miles 
north-west of Nazareth is a little village called 'Ain, the position of which 
might answer to Neah. 

Neapolis, (Map 8,) new city. 

1. The place in Northern Greece where St. Paul first landed in Europe, Acts 
xvi, 1 1. Doubtless he landed here also on his second visit to Macedonia, 
Acts xx, 1. The site is now occupied by the Turkish village of Kavalla, 
situated on a rocky promontory. It has a population of about five thousand 
or six thousand, nine tenths of whom are Mussulmans and the rest Greeks. 
The remains of Neapolis are extensive. Besides an aqueduct nearly ten miles 
in length, there are Ionic columns and hewn stones, sculptured stones, and 
marble sarcophagi. 

2. The name of Neapolis was given to Shechem during the Roman age. 
Josephus usually called the city Sichem ; but he has Neapolis in Bell. Jud., 
iv, 8,.l. See Shechem. 

Neba'ioth and Neba'joth, (Maps 12, 13,) heights, the chief and oldest of 
the Ishmaelite tribes, Gen. xxv, 13 ; xxviii, 9, etc. In 1 Mace, v, 25; ix, 35, 
Nabathites. This tribe is considered identical with the Nabatheans of classic 
authors, and the Beni Ndbat of the Arabs. Their territory, at first, appears 
to have been on the south-east of Palestine, in and around the mountains of 
Edom. There Esau became allied with them ; and soon they went more to 
the south and east, to secure pasture for their rapidly increasing flocks. 
Afterward they built towns, especially the magnificent Petra, whose splendid 
rock temples and tombs have been the wonder of the world for the last half 
century. (See Sela.) They surpassed all other Arab tribes in refinement 
and commercial enterprise. They were celebrated for their astronomy, 
magic, medicine, and agriculture. Their government was monarchical, but 
the power of their kings was limited. Plundered by Sennacherib, contending 
in war with various kings, they became at length little better than a nation 
of robbers. But the Syrian wars curbed and reformed them ; and they had 
the confidence of some of the Maccabean princes. The kingdom of the 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 329 

Nabatheans was overthrown by Cornelius Palma, governor of Syria, in A. D. 
105, and annexed to the Roman Empire. Their enterprise and wealth soon 
declined, and when the fierce followers of Mohammed overran Western 
Asia, the cities of the Nabatheans were ruined, their country laid waste, 
and the remnant of the people were mingled with the tribes of the desert. 

Nebal'lat, folly in secret, a town occupied by the Benjamites after the cap- 
tivity; mentioned only in Neh. xi, 34, and grouped with Lod, (Lydda.) Pos- 
sibly Neballat is identical with the village of Beit Nebdla, about four miles 
north-east of Lydda, which has some few traces of antiquity. Or it may be 
&t another place of nearly the same name, Bir Nebdla, lying to the east of 
el Jib, (Gibeon,) and within half a mile of it. 

Ne'bo, Mount, (Map 5.) The name Nebo may come from a root signi- 
fying " to project," or " to be high ; " hence a projection. Or it may be traced 
to the heathen deity Nebo, the planet Mercury, which the Chaldeans and 
ancient Arabs worshiped as the celestial scribe or writer ; in this sense the 
signification of Nebo is interpreter — that is, of the gods. Some have sup- 
posed that there was an ancient high place on Nebo where this deity was 
worshiped; but there is no proof of this. This was the mount in Moab, 
" over against Jericho," " up into " which the Lord commanded Moses to go 
" and behold the land of Canaan," Deut. xxxii, 49. " And Moses went up 
from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah 
. . . and the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan," etc. 
Deut. xxxiv. Nebo^was a peak of the range called Abarim, which see. 

Several peaks have been suggested as Nebo : Jebel Attards is one ; but it 
is not opposite Jericho, and lies much too far south to answer the Scripture 
narrative. Jebel JiVad is another, but it is about the same distance too far 
north, being about fifteen miles north of a line drawn eastward from Jericho. 
The most probable conjecture identifies this peak with Jebel Nebbah, south 
of Wady Hesban. See Pisgah. 

Ne'bo, (for signification see preceding article.) 

1. A city of the Gadites east of the Jordan, grouped with Heshbon, Elealeh, 
and Baal-Meon, Num. xxxii, 3, 38 ; xxxiii, 47. Nebo was rebuilt by the 
Gadites ; but from 1 Chron. v, 8, it would seem that both it and Baal-Meon 
were inhabited by a Reubenite family: or perhaps that family held the 
country up to the borders of Nebo and Baal-Meon. Later it was captured 
by the Moabites, and Isaiah joins it with Dibon and Medeba, in the curse 
pronounced u^on that land, Isa. xv, 2. Jeremiah also predicts its faU as a 
city of Moab, Jer. xlviii, 1, 22. "The ruins of Nebo are on a mamelon, 
slightly depressed, and projected from the line of the main ridge, which runs 
north and south from Heshbon to Ma'in, and are about two miles west of its 
crest." — Tristram: The Land of Moab, p. 338. 

2. A place in Benjamin where dwelt some who returned from Babylon, 
Ezra ii, 29 ; Neh. vii, 33. Seven of them had foreign wives, whom they 
were compelled to discard, Ezra x, 43. Possibly Nebo is identical with the 
small modern village of Beit Mbah in the plain of Sharon, about twelve 
miles north-west of Jerusalem. 

Ne'geb, the south, the south country. As the term Negeb is occasionally 
used in this volume, it may not be amiss to here give a few explanatory 
words. The sacred writers appear to have employed this term and some 
others not merely as appellations, (as usually rendered in the Authorized 
Version,) but in a topographical sense, to indicate some specific region or 



330 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

province. In Gen. xii, 9, we read, " And Abram journeyed [from Bethel ; 
going on still toward the south" that is, "to the Negeb." In Gen. xiii, 1, 
" Abram went up out of Egypt . . . into the South," that is, " to the Negeb." 
In 1 Sam. xxx, 14, there is the Negeb of the Cherethites, or Philistines ; also 
in 1 Sam. xxvii, 1 ; xxx, 14, Negeb of the Kenites, Negeb of the Jerahmeel- 
ites, Negeb of Judah, and the Negeb of Caleb. 

At the time of the Exodus the Negeb was chiefly inhabited by the Amalek- 
ites, Num. xiii, 29. Its northern limit was the Shephelah and the mount- 
ains of Judah. On the east it bordered on the Arabah as far south as the 
parallel of Kedesh. Its southern border cannot now be defined ; but it did 
not reach either to the peninsula of Sinai nor to Egypt. See a valuable work 
entitled The Negeb, or South Country of Scripture, by Rev. E. "Wilton. 

Nehel'amite. The margin reads "dreamer," Jer. xxix, 24, 31, 32. A 
false prophet called " Shemaiah." Nothing is known concerning the deriva- 
tion of this word. It is probably the name of a famiiy; but the locality can- 
not be determined. 

Nei'el, or Ne'iel, perhaps moved, or treasured, of God, a place mentioned 
as one of the landmarks on the boundary of Asher, Josh, xix, 27. It occurs 
between Jipthah-el and Cabul. Neiel is not named by any'classic or eccle- 
siastical writer. Mr. Grove thinks the site may possibly be represented by 
Mtfar, a village conspicuously placed on a lofty mountain brow just half-way 
between Jefdt and Kabtil — " but very doubtful." 

Ne'keb, the cavern, a town on the border of Naphthali lying between 
Adami and Jabneel, Josh, xix, 33. Possibly this name should be connected 
with the preceding as " Adami-Nekeb," or " Adami-the-Cavem.' The 
Talmud (separating the two) gives the name of Nekeb as Tziadatha, which 
is now unknown. 

Ne'phish, 1 Chron. v, 19. Incorrectly for Naphish. 

Neph'thali, and Neph'thalim, variations of Naphtali, Tob. i, 1-5 ; xii, 3 ; 
Matt, iv, 13, 15 ; Rev. vii, 6. 

Neph'toah, The Water of, water of opening, a spring or fountain, and 
apparently a streamlet issuing from it, in the border between Judah and 
Benjamin, Josh, xv, 9 ; xviii, 15. Geographers are not well agreed as to the 
site. Mr. Porter (in Kitto) considers the spot probably at Ain Yolo, in Wady- 
el- Werd, three miles south-west of Jerusalem ; while Mr. Grove, (in Smith's 
Dictionary,) following others, supposes this fountain to be about two miles and 
a half north-west of the city at Ain Lifta, situated a little distance above the 
village of the same name, in a short valley which runs into the east side 
of the great Wady Beit Hanina. 

Neto'phah, a dropping, distillation, a place apparently in Judah, and near 
Bethlehem, mentioned among the towns occupied after the captivity, Ezra 
ii, 22; Neh. vii, 26; 1 Esdras v, 18, but existing much earlier than this date. 
See 2 Sam. xxiii, 28, 29; 2 Kings xxv, 23; 1 Chron. ii, 54, etc.; Neh. xii, 38; 
Jer. xl, 8 ; in which passages the inhabitants of this place are called Neto- 
phathi aud Netophathites. The village of Beit Nettif which some suggest 
as the site of Netophah, is doubtless too far from Bethlehem, being on the 
brow of the valley of Elah. On Yan de Velde's map is the name of a vil- 
lage called Antubeh, lying about two miles north-east of Bethlehem, which 
Mr. Grove suggests as the site of Netophah. This would seem to agree with 
the Scripture notices. 

Ne'zib, (Map 5,) a garrison, statue, or idol, a place in the lowland of Judah, 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 331 

Josh, xv, 43. It is identified with Beit Nusib, five miles from Beit Jibrin, 
(Eleutheropolis,) 011 the road to Hebron. It lies neither in the mountain not 
in the plain, but in the low hilly ground which connects the two. The 
ruins are of considerable extent, consisting of massive foundations, broken 
columns, and large building stones. 

Nib'shan, light, soft soil, a city in the wilderness of Judah, apparently 
near Engedi, on the shore of the Dead Sea; mentioned only in Josh, xv, 62. 
It is wholly unknown. 

Nicop'olis, (Map 8,) city of victory. There were several ancient cities 
by this name. Paul refers to one of them in Titus lii, 12. There seems to 
be no scriptural evidence as to what city is intended. One Nicopolis was 
in Thrace, near the borders of Macedonia; another in the north-eastern 
corner of Cilicia ; a third was the celebrated Nicopolis in Epirus. Each of 
these has its advocates as the city referred to by the Apostle, but the one 
last named seems to be the one indicated. This important city was built by 
Augustus in commemoration of the battle of Actium. Ruins of considerable 
extent remain under the name of Pahoprevesa, " Old Prevesa." For an 
interesting account of Nicopolis in Epirus see "Wordsworth's Greece, and 
Conybeare and Howson's Life of St. Paul. Emmaus was at one time called 
Nicopolis. See Emmaus. 

Nile, (Map 1,) "the blue," "the dark." The river Nile is frequently 
mentioned in the Bible, but not under this name. See River of Egypt ; 
Siiihor, and Sihor. 

Nim'rah, limpid, pure, (as water) or panther, east of Jordan, apparently 
near Heshbon, Num. xxxii, 3. Perhaps it is identical with Beth-Nimrah, 
which see. The name Nim,r (" panther ") appears to be a common one east 
of the Jordan, and until further exploration is possible it will be exceedingly 
difficult to identify places under this term. 

Nim'rim, limpid, pure, or panther. "The waters ofNimrim," a stream or 
brook within the country of Moab, mentioned in the denunciations of that 
nation uttered or quoted by Isaiah and Jeremiah, Isa. xv, 6; Jer. 
xlviii, 34; (compare Num. xxxii, 3, 36.) Mr. Grove thinks it is "possibly in 
Wady Nemeirah, south of the Lisan; but very doubtful." Kiepert's map 
locates a Nimriin there. Mr. Porter speaks of " copious springs " near the 
ruins of Beth -Nimrah, which he considers " the waters of Nimrim," on 
which Isaiah pronounced the curse. See Nimrah, and Beth-Nimrah. 

Nin'eveh, (Maps 1, 14,) probably habitation of Ninus; or perhaps City of Nin, 
from the Assyrian god Nin. The ancient capital of Assyria. By the 
Greeks and Romans it was usually called Ninus, after the name of its founder. 

This once magnificent city stood upon the eastern bank of the Tigris, 
opposite the place where Mosul now stands on the western bank. 

In Gen. x, 11, (margin,) we are told that Nineveh was founded by Nimrod. 
Hence it was one of the oldest cities in the world. The name of Nineveh is 
on Egyptian monuments of Thothmes III. about 1400 B. C. After the brief 
allusion in Genesis, Nineveh is not again noticed in Scripture until the time of 
Jouah, about 800 B. C, when the prophet was commanded by God to go to 
that " great city and cry against it," Jonah i, 2. Then it was a most power- 
ful monarchy — " an exceeding great city of three days' journey," iii, 3 ; with 
a vast population, iv, 11. The preaching of Jonah caused but a temporary 
repentance in Nineveh, and we find the prophet Nahum uttering fearful pre- 
dictions against the city. These were terribly fulfilled. See the whole book 

16 



332 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of Nahum; also Zeph. ii, 13-15; compare Ezek. xxxi. Sennacherib was 
assassinated in Nineveh, 2 Kings xix, 36, 37 ; Isa. xxxvii, 37, 38. Christ 
employed the name of Nineveh as a warning to all transgressors, Matt, 
xii, 4.1 ; Luke xi, 32. 

The history of Nineveh, like its rise, is involved in much obscurity. The 
accounts of its vastness and splendor are only traditional, According to 
Diodorus Siculus the city had the form of a rectangular parallelogram, being 
150 stadia in length by 90 in breadth, the whole circuit being 480 stadia, or, 
as variously computed, 32, 56, 60, or 74 miles. Strabo says it was larger 
than Babylon, and Diodorus asserts that the walls were 100 feet high, broad 
enough for three chariots abreast, and flanked with 1,500 towers, each 200 feet 
high. We have no ancient description of the buildings of this great city; nor is 
there any account of Nineveh in the Persian cuneiform inscriptions discovered 
among its ruins. After a long career of prosperity at length Nineveh fell, 
and with it also fell the Assyrian Empire. In Jeremiah's catalogue of "all the 
nations " (Jer. xxv) there is no mention of either the city or the empire. 
Their fall was complete. The time of their overthrow is variously computed: 
by some at 585 B. C, by others at 606 B. C, and by others still at 625 B. 0., 
which is the most probable date. The last Scripture notice occurs in Zeph. 
i«. 13-15, about 630 B. C. 

According to Ctesias, (as preserved in Diodorus,) Nineveh was besieged 
by Cyaxares, the Median monarch, assisted by the Babylonians under Nabo- 
polassar. His efforts were unsuccessful for two years, when, aided by an 
extraordinary rise of the Tigris, which swept away a part of the walls, he 
entered the city with his army. The Assyrian monarch, Saracus, in despair, 
burned himself in his palace, and the barbarous conquerors gave the entire 
city to the llames. 

The once magnificent Nineveh now became "a desolation, a place for 
beasts to lie down in," Zeph. ii, 1 5. And two hundred years afterward, when 
Herodotus passed very near the site, there was no vestige of the city. Nor 
does Xenophon mention the name of Nineveh, although with his troops 
he camped by the site, (401 B. C.) The historians of Alexander (with one 
exception) make no allusion to the place, although that great general won a 
victory in the immediate vicinity. The site is called Ninos by Tacitus, in 
recording its capture by Meherdates, near the close of Nero's reign. On 
the coins of Trajan and Maximin the words Colonia Ninivia Claudiopolis 
seem to show that Claudius had there founded a colony. Among the ruins 
of the site have been found many remains of the Roman period — terra-cottas, 
sculptures, vases, coins. In A. D. 627 the name of Nineveh once more 
occurs, in the mere mention of a battle occurring there, in which Heraclius, 
the Emperor of the East, triumphed over the Persian Chosroes. And in 
A. I). 637 we find the Arabs giving the name of Ninawi to a fort on the 
east bank of the Tigris. 

Nineveh was for a long period well-nigh forgotten, and its site unknown. 
Until a very recent period a few shapeless mounds opposite Mosul, a noted 
city on the western bank of the Tigris, were all that tradition could point 
out as remaining of Nineveh. That the ruins of so large and important a 
city should so long have been lost is indeed among the remarkable facts of 
history. Says Ayre : " It is more than curious, it is the wise providence of 
Him who uncovereth secret things, that, in our busy, speculative, superficial 
age, when men are questioning the truth of his revelation, and. wise in their 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



335 



own conceit, denying his 
moral government of the 
worlds he has framed, the 
earth should, as it were, 
give forth a voice, reveal 
the buried palaces of an- 
cient days, and proclaim 
thereby a fresh attestation 
to the truths of sacred 
writ." 

In 1820 Mr. Rich, political 
resident at Bagdad, brought 
a few relics of ancient 
Nineveh, obtained from both 
Koyunjik and Neby Yunus. 
But we are indebted chiefly 
to Dr. Layard, who visited 
the site of the ruins in 1840, 
and to M. Botta, who was 
French consul at Mosul 
in 1841. Concerning these 
ruins Layard remarks: "If 
we take the four great 
mounds of Nimrud, Koy- 
unjik, Khorsabad, and Kar- 
amles as the corners of a 
square, it will be found that 
its four sides correspond 
pretty accurately with the 
480 stadia, or 60 miles, of 
the geographer, which make 
the three days' journey of 
the prophet." 

M. Botta met with little success in excavating at Koyunjik, where he 
began his work ; but on changing his labors to Khorsabad he soon discovered 
slabs and sculptures, and succeeded in laying bare the ground-plan of a 
magnificent palace. Many relics secured by him are now in the museum of 
the Louvre, and constitute the national collection of Assyrian monuments 
in France. The success of M. Botta greatly stimulated Dr. Layard, who 
directed his attention to the great mound of Nimrud, considerably to the 
south of Mosul, and about six and a half miles from the point where tb.9 
Z-ib falls into the Tigris. Having at length secured aid, by the liberality of - 
Sir Stratford Canning, Mr. Layard succeeded in November, 1845, in exca- 
vating a chamber in what is now called the north-west palace of Nimrud. 
The ruins at Nimrud are of higher antiquity than those at Khorsabad, and 
evidently assignable to different epochs. More important discoveries were 
then rapiily made. The fanatical and jealous Moslems, however, offered no 
little opposition to the great explorer. They often afforded much amuse- 
ment also in the manifestation of their astonishment at some of the relics 
exhumed. Dr. Layard gives the following illustrative incident. He says: 
u One morning I had ridden to the encampment of Sheikh Abd-ur-Rahmau, 




PLAN OF RUINS — MOUNDS AT NINEVEH. 



336 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



and was returning to the mound, when I saw two Arabs of his tribe urging 
their mares to the top of their speed. On approaching me they stopped. 
' Hasten, bey ! ' exclaimed one of them, ' hasten to the diggers, for they 
have found Nimrod himself. "Wallah ! it is wonderful, but it is true ! we 
have seen him with our eyes. There is no God but God ; ' and, both joining 
in this pious exclamation, they galloped off, without further words, in the 
direction of their tents. On reaching the ruins I descended into the new 
trench. . . . The Arabs withdrew the screen they had hastily constructed, 
and disclosed an enormous human head, sculptured in full out of the alabaster 
of the country. ... I saw at once that the head must belong to a winged 
lion or bull. ... It was in admirable preservation. The expression was 




WINGED LION (IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM) FROM NINEVEH. 

calm, yet majestic, and the outline of the features showed a freedom and 
knowledge of art scarcely to be looked for in works of so remote a period. . . . 
One of the workmen, catching the first glimpse of the monster, had thrown 
down his basket, and had run off toward Mosul as fast as his legs could 
carry him. The neighboring Arab sheikh and half his tribe were soon 
upon the spot, and confidently pronounced the gigantic head to be the work 
of no human hands, but one of the idols which Noah had cursed before tLe 
flood." 

These mounds extend on the eastern bank of the Tigris from Shereef Khan 
in the north to Nimrud in the south, about twenty-five miles, and from the 
Tigris to Khorsabad and Karamles on the east, about ten or twelve miles. 
Traces of ancient structures are to be seen throughout this large extent of 
country. The western face of the ruins opposite Mosul is about a mile from 
the Tigris, which probably once ran close to them. These ruins consist of 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 337 

ail embankment generally forty or fiftj feet high, with Koyunjik and Neby 
Yunus (the traditional tomb of Jonah) on its western face. Koyunjik measures 
about 866 yards by 300; Ntby Yunus 566 by 400. The entire length of the 
western wall is about 4,533 yards; the northern side is 2,333 yards; the 
southern about 1,000; while the eastern, which forms a curve, is 5,300 
yards. In many places the towers may still be traced, and it is thought 
the gate-ways were arched. One was discovered in the center of the north- 
ern wall and another in the inner east wall. The former consisted of two 
halls, 70 feet by 23, which opened on the plain and on the interior of the 
inclosure by means of gate- ways, which were flanked by colossal man-headed 
bulls and winged human figures. The ruts of chariot wheels can still be 
traced on the limestone slabs of the pavement. This gate-way was buried 
beneath an immense amount of rubbish. On the eastern side are moats and 
formidable ramparts. The remains at Koyunjik indicate structures of greater 
extent and magnificence than those found elsewhere. As many as seventy- 
one chambers were uncovered, which are paneled with bas-reliefs for an 
extent of nearly two miles, and twenty-seven entrances were excavated, 
which were flanked by colossal winged bulls, or lion-sphinxes, although 
little more than half was explored. Nimrud is similar to the ruins above 
noted, but its defenses were by no means so important. It consists of an 
inclosure, indicating ancient walls nearly square, being about 2,331 yards 
by 2,095. The Tigris ran formerly along the south and western sides; the 
others were protected by moats. There is a great mound, 700 yards by 400, 
on the south-west face, with a kind of earthen pyramid, rising to the height 
of 140 feet in its north-west corner. A group of mounds also exists at the 
south-east corner, called by the Arabs Athur, a name which seems at one 
time to have been applied to the whole of Nineveh. Athur is said to have 
been Nimrod's lieutenant. Khorsabad is a square of about 2,000 yards. 
Towers and gate-ways are traced, but there are no indications of moats. On 
the north-west face of the inclosure rises a great mound, which is divided 
into two parts, the lower 1,350 feet by 300, the upper 650 feet square and 
about 30 high. The summit was formerly occupied by an Arab village, and 
at one corner is a pyramid like that at Nimrud, but much smaller. Through- 
out all the ruins Mr. Layard and his fellow-laborers continually encountered 
calcined sculptured alabaster, charcoal, and charred wood buried in masses 
of brick and earth, slabs and statues split with heat — all indicative of the 
destruction of the ancient city or cities by fire, as above noted. At Nim- 
rud was discovered the remarkable obelisk of black marble now preserved 
in the British Museum. This is 6£ feet high, by 17£ inches square at the 
top, and 2 feet square at the bottom. Upon this obelisk are various inscrip- 
tions and figures representing kings, officers, captives, and tribute. These 
are interpreted as referring to the victorious Assyrians, and to the conquered 
captive Jews. Other inscriptions among the ruins are deciphered to signify 
world-wide conquests. Sculptures there are that tell of royal pastimes, of 
the excitement of the chase, and the luxury of banquets; there are the 
symbols of strange worship, and much besides, revealing the wealth, the 
glory, and the grandeur of the place, now " a desolation, and dry like a wil- 
derness." 

It is thought by some good authorities that Nineveh could not have in- 
cluded the large territory covered by all these ruins, and that these sever- 
ally indicate different cities. See Gen. x, 11, 12. Thus it is proposed to 



338 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

identify Nimrud with the ancient Calah. But Mr. Fergusson believes Calah 
is to be identified with Kalah Sherghat. (See Calah.) Thus also he would 
identify Resen with Nimrud, and Nineveh with Koyunjik alone. (See Resen.) 
Another theory supposes the great mounds to represent vast fortified palaces, 
erected by different kings, standing in ample parks ; and these parks and 
palaces, it is claimed, comprised in one vast area the magnificent metropolis 
of the mighty Assyrian Empire. In this respect Nineveh would resemble 
Ispahan, Damascus, and other modern Oriental cities. Each theory is 
beset with difficulties, and certainty seems impossible. The last theory, how- 
ever, appears to us at least as tenable as the former. "Within the inclosurcs 
abova mentioned few traces of buildings are found ; hence they may have 
been parks. For the "much cattle" of Nineveh (Jonah iv, 11 ; iii, 1) there 
must have been a great space within the circuit for breeding and pasturage. 

Doubtless Koyunjik was the grand original center, to which, from time to 
time, additions were made by the erection of new edifices on the site of old 
ones, and former quarters might be deserted as new palaces arose. Thus 
we could somewhat appreciate the passage, " Nineveh was an exceeding 
great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city 
a day's journey," Jonah iii, 3, 4. This view seems to be corroborated by the 
explorations made. The inscriptions tell of the various sovereigns who 
built or rebuilt various quarters, and recount the deeds of those who dwelt 
there. The most ancient of the excavated edifices, the north-west palace of 
Nimrud, was rebuilt or founded by Asshur-Dani-Pal, conjecturally the Sar- 
danapalus of the Greeks, whose reign is approximately placed at 950-920 
B. C. The palace at Khorsabad is thought to have been founded by Shal- 
maneser, but built principally by Sargon about 725. The most magnificent 
of all the palaces, that of Koyunjik, was the work of Sennacherib, about TOO 
B. C. He also founded the palace at Shereef Khan, five and a half miles 
north of Koyunjik, and the one at Neby Yunus, though this last appears to 
have been finished by Esar-Haddon. On the same platform with Sennache- 
rib's palace was another one, erected by the son of Esar-Haddon. To him 
also is attributed the south-east palace at Nimrud. It is observed that the 
sculptures in edifices of different periods show a marked diversity in skill, 
as well as in manners and dress. Dr. Layard marks the traces of Egyptian 
taste in the later monuments, which are unknown in the earlier remains. 

The Assyrian edifices were built upon artificial platforms, varying from 
thirty to fifty feet above the ground-level. These were sometimes made of 
sun-dried bricks, as at Nimrud, and sometimes of earth and rubbish, as at 
Koyunjik ; and they seem to have been faced with stone, the ascent being 
either by slopes or flights of steps. Large quantities of cedar wood were 
found in some of the ruins. The prophet refers to this. "He shall uncover 
the cedar work," Zeph. ii, 14. In these palaces no traces of windows have 
been discovered. The rooms were probably lighted from above, or through 
the doors only, as is the case now at Mosul. Probably curtains were hung 
before the apertures, and a device resorted to similar to the modern talar. 

In 1849 a portion of the royal library at Nineveh was discovered by Lay- 
ard. This library consisted of small tablets and cylinders of baked clay, 
covered with inscriptions. Thousands of these fragments were sent to Lon- 
don. Mr. George Smith, of the British Museum, has succeeded in decipher- 
ing some of the inscriptions. One of the tablets contains a history of the 
flood, and " reads like a new page from the Bible." ' It gives the account of 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 311 

the flood as told by Sisit, the Xisuthrus of Berosus, and who corresponds to 
the Noah of Scripture. Although the writing varies from the Mosaic account, 
there is, however, a striking agreement between the two records in the main 
points of the story. The tablet in question belonged to the library of Assur- 
bauipal, 660 B. C, and is a translation into the Assyrian from the ancient 
Accad language of the original Babylonians. It was brought to Nineveh 
from the older Babylonian city of Erech. The date assigned it reaches back 
to the seventeenth century before Christ. 

The chief sources of information concerning Nineveh are Mr. Layard's 
two works, Nineveh, and Nineveh and Babylon; Botta's Monument de Ninive; 
Vaux's Nineveh and Persepolis; Fergusson's Palaces of Nineveh and Persepolis 
Restored; Rawlinson's Herodotus; and Rawlinson's The Ancient Monarchies. 

No, and No-A'mon. The most probable meaning of No is place, portion. 
Hence No-Amon=£/te portion or place of Amon, that is, the possession of 
the Egyptian god Anion, the chief seat of his worship. No was a large and 
celebrated city in Egypt. It is first mentioned in Jeremiah, (xlvi, 25 :) " I 
will punish the multitude of No; " literally, "the Anion of No," where the 
reference may be rather to the deity Amon than to the people of the city. 
The next passage, in Ezek. xxx, 14, 15, 16, also predicts punishment. The 
last notice of this city, occurring in Nahum iii, 8, both gives its full name, 
and describes its position : " Art thou (Nineveh) better than populous No, 
that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose 
rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?" Here "populous 
No " is in the Hebrew No-Amon, that is, " No of Amon." 

There can be no doubt that No is identical with Thebes, the Diospolis 
Magna of the Greeks, the ancient and splendid metropolis of Upper Egypt. 

Thebes was one hundred and forty stadia in circuit, lying on both sides 
of the Nile. This agrees with the passage above, "situate among the 
rivers, that had the waters round about it; " and this was the only city in 
ancient Egypt which we know to have been built on both sides of the Nile. 
The expression in Nahum, " whose rampart was the sea," etc., refers to the 
river Nile, which, to the present day, is usually termed in Egypt el-Bahr, 
" the sea." This city was celebrated for its hundred gates, for the multi- 
tude and splendor of its temples, obelisks, statues, etc. But it was " rent 
asunder," and the "judgments in No" laid this mighty metropolis in ruins, 
Ezek. xxx, 14-16. About 714 B. C. occurred the Ethiopian conquest of 
Thebes, and the establishment of an Ethiopian dynasty, when it is probable 
that the Ethiopians made it their Egyptian capital. Immediately after their 
rule it was taken twice, at least, by the Assyrians. According to Rawlin- 
son, Esar-Haddon and his son Asshur-Bani-Pal both conquered Egypt, and 
the latter took Thebes twice ; but the exact time of these conquests has not 
been fixed. The prophet Nahum (iii, 8) doubtless refers to one or both of 
these events. Possibly the Babylonians inflicted further injuries, although 
the monuments of Thebes do not seem to have suffered from the Assyrians. 
The Persians under Cambyses burnt it. Later Egyptian kings still added 
to its edifices, and the earlier Greek sovereigns followed their example. 
About 81 B. C., after a siege of three years, Thebes was finally destroyed 
by Ptolemy X. Lathurus. At the present time there are two villages on 
the eastern bank of the river, El-Karnak, and El-Uksur ; the former, which 
is inconsiderable, near the oldest part of ancient Thebes ; the latter, which 
is large, and the most important place on the site, so as to deserve to be 



342 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

called a small town, lying some distance to the south on the river's bank. 
Opposite El-Karnak is the ruined village of El-Kurneh, the population of 
which mainly inhabit sepulchral grottoes; and opposite El-Uksur the village 
of El-Ba y eerat, which indeed is almost beyond the circuit of Thebes. The 
entire ruins of this vast city indicate that it was quadrangular in shape, about 
four miles by two. Remains of magnificent temples, colossal obelisks, pillars, 
and statues, lie scattered over this wide space. Says Rosiere, in his Descrip- 
tion of Egypt, " Thebes, the foremost city of the world in the time of Homer, 
is still, at the present day, the most surprising. One feels as though he 
were in a dream While contemplating the immensity of its ruins, the vas-t- 
ness and majesty of its edifices, and the numberless remains of its ancicrt 
magnificence." The great hall of the Temple of Karnak is said, to be one 
hundred and seventy feet long by three hundred and twenty-nine feet wide, 
supported by one hundred and thirty-four columns, the loftiest of which, 
forming the central avenue, are nearly seventy feet high, and about twelve 
feet in diameter. Beyond this great hall are many ruined chambers, and 
two great obelisks standing in their places amid a heap of iuins. The ap- 
proach to Karnak from the south is by a series of majestic gate-ways and 
towers — the appendages of later times to the original structure. Every 
thing in this vicinity reveals the grandeur of the ancient city. Hieroglyphic 
inscriptions abound among all the ruins. The full interpretation of these 
will give us invaluable testimony as to the early history of the Egyptians, 
and aid in a better understanding of the Scriptures. 

Nob, (Map 6,) probably a high place, a priests' city in Benjamin, in sight 
of Jerusalem, 1 Sam. xxii, 19; Isa. x, 32; Neh. xi, 31, 32. The taber- 
nacle and the ark of the covenant were probably here in the time of Saul. 
David, fleeing from Saul, went "to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest," 1 Sam. 
xxi, 1, 4. Doeg, the Edomite, informed against Ahimelech, and the priest 
was summoned before the wrathful king. Saul sent out Doeg, who smote 
Nob with the edge of the sword, 1 Sam. xxii, 9-19. Some think Nob may 
be identical with el-Isawiyeh, north-east of Jerusalem on the road leading to 
Anathoth. But Mr. Porter believes he has found the site on a conical rocky 
tell less than a mile south of Tuleil el-Ful, (Gibeah.) Conder (1875) locates 
Nob at Neby Sarnwil, and inclines to consider Nob and Mizpeh (6) identical ; 
but his argument is inconclusive. 

No'bah, (Map 4,) a barking, a name at one time borne by Kenath, Num. 
xxxii, 42. From the chronology of Judg. viii, 11, it appears to have held 
this name two hundred years. See Kjbnath. 

Nod, flight, wandering. In Gen. iv, 16, we read that Cain " went out, 
and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden." While the site of 
Eden is not fixed, we cannot determine that of Nod. The Hon. I. S. Diehl 
tells us that he found the inhabitants oFBussorah and Bushire claiming that 
the land of Nod and the city of Enoch lay between these two cities, on the 
north-east coast of the Persian Gulf. In the place thus designated are found 
vast ruins of cities which are claimed to have been built before the deluge. 
The inscriptions on many of these ruins are still undeciphered. Bushire itself 
claims to be an antediluvian city of the land of Nod, and the name is a 
contraction of Abu-Sheer, " city of the fathers." 

No'dab, nobility, an Ishmaelite or Hagarite tribe, mentioned only in 
1 Chron. v, 19. So far as known, no Arab tribe now bears this name. 

Noph, (Map 1,) Isa. xix, 13 ; Jer. ii, 16, etc. ; Ezek. xxx, 13, 16. See Memphib. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 343 

No'phah, blast, perhaps windy place, a Moabite tc wn, Num. xxi, 30. It 
seems to have lain between Heshbon and Medaba. Unknown. 

O'bal, stripped, or bare of leaves, a tribe of Arabs, from Obal the seventh son 
of Joktan, Gen. x, 28. In 1 Chron. i, 22, Ebal. Bochart identifies this tribe 
with the Abalites or Avalites of classic geographers, who dwelt beside a gull 
of the same name on the eastern coast of Africa, near the Straits of Bab el- 
Mandeb. But this identity is not established. 

O'both, (Map 2,) water-skins, bottles, a station of the Israelites in the wil- 
derness east of Moab; the first after the setting up of the brazen serpent, 
Num. xxi, 10, 11 ; xxxiii, 43, 44. Unknown. 

Oc'ina, a place mentioned in Judith ii, 28, among the towns on the 
sea-coast of Palestine, which were terrified at the approach of Holofernes. 
It is perhaps a corruption of Accho, now Akka. 

Odol'lam, 2 Mace, xii, 38. The Greek form of Adullam, which see. 
Possibly the site is at Bet Data, east of Beit Jibrin, (Eleutheropolis.) 

Ol'ives, The Mount of, and Olivet, (Maps 6, 7,) the hills or ridge east of 
Jerusalem, separated from the city by the Kidron valley, Zech. xiv, 4 ; Ezek. 
xi, 23. Its name is derived from the olive-trees which once abounded on its 
sides, Neh. viii, 5. Some of these trees still remain. This mount or hill is 
mentioned by the name of Olives but once in the Old Testament, (Zech. xiv, 4,) 
but it is alluded to in several other passages. Doubtless events occurred 
tiere other than those distinctly recorded. 

It was up the slopes of Olivet that David went weeping and wearied when 
fleeing from the Holy City during Absalom's rebellion ; and here that he met 
Hushai and Ziba, 2 Sam. xv, 30, 32 ; xvi, 4. In 1 Kings xi, 7, it is recorded 
that Solomon built "a high place for Chemosh in the hill that is be/ore Jeru- 
salem," meaning Olivet, which is literally before the city, being visible from 
every part of it. In 2 Kings xxiii, 13, the same hill is called " The Mount of 
Corruption," doubtless from the idolatrous rites there practiced. 

From the New Testament history Olivet derives its chief interest. It ap- 
pears to have been a favorite resort of Jesus. By the way of Olivet the 
Saviour entered Jerusalem, Matt, xxi, 1; Mark xi, 1; Luke xix, 29, 37. 
Here Christ taught his disciples, and here foretold the ruin of the Holy City, 
Matt, xxiv, 3; Mark xiii. Here "at night he abode in the mount," Luke 
xxi, 37 ; John viii, 1. Hither after the passover feast he came on that 
fearful night of his agony, Luke xxii, 39 ; Matt, xxvi, 30. And then, when 
the agony was passed, and he had risen, a victor over death and the grave, 
our blessed Lord ascended from Olivet up into heaven, Acts i, 12. 

The ridge of Olivet is about a mile long from north to south. Its eleva- 
tion is nearly three hundred feet above the temple site. The Arabs call it 
Jebel-et-Tur. "Its appearance as first seen sadly disappoints the Bible stu- 
dent. Properly speaking it is not a hill. It is only one of a multitude of 
rounded crowns that form the summit of the broad mountain ridge which 
runs longitudinally through Central Palestine. Zion, Moriah, Scopus, Gibeah, 
Ramah, and Mizpeh, are others like Olivet. These bare rocky crowns 
encircle the Holy city — Olivet being the highest and most conspicuous in the 
immediate vicinity." — Porter. 

The several summits of the Mount of Olives are named as follows, be- 
ginning at the north: 1. Viri Galikei, (Men of Galilee,) a name given by 
monks and pilgrims, from the tradition that here the angels said to the 



344 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 




THE MOUNT OP OLIVES, 



apostles, " Te men 
of Galilee, why 
stand ye," etc. An 
older tradition lo- 
cates the station of 
the angels in or 
beside the Church 
of the Ascension. 
The summit is now 
crowned by a con- 
fused heap of ruins, 
encompassed by 
viueyards ; hence 
its modern name, 
'' The Sportsman's 
Vineyard." 2. As- 
cension. The top of 
Olivet, (about 500 
yards south of the 
preceding.) The 
traditional site of 
Christ's ascension, 
on which stands a 
modern church or 
mosque erected in 

honor of that event. " "Within the chapel is the rock which has been pointed 

out to pilgrims, at least since the seventh century, as imprinted with the 

footsteps of our Saviour. . . . Here there is nothing but a simple cavity in 

the rock, with no more resemblance to a human foot than to any thing else." 

— Stanley. Dr. Thomson, speaking of his visit to the place, remarks, " We 

came out of the Church of the Ascension with feelings of utter disgust." 

The spot thus commemorated by the mosque is not the place whence Christ 

ascended. Dr. Porter says : "It was not in Bethany, nor was it on such a 

conspicuous place as the summit of Olivet. The writer carefully examined the 

whole region. He saw one spot, as far from Jerusalem as Bethany, near the 

village, but concealed by an intervening cliff, and this he thought in all 

probability the real scene. The disciples, led by Jesus, would reach it by the 

path over the top of Olivet, and they would naturally return to the city by the 

same route." 3. TJte Prophets, & summit about 500 yards to the south of 

the Church of the Ascension, but not quite so lofty. A large catacomb or 

group of caves on the declivity of the hill is called " The tombs of the 

Prophets." 4. Mount of Offense — The southernmost elevation of the ridge, 

being at least 150 feet lower than Olivet proper. The highest point of 

Olivet, according to Van de Velde, is 2,724 feet above the level of the sea. 

Extensive views are afforded from its various points. From the one side 

we may look down into Jerusalem ; while from the eastern side the vision 

extends over the dreary hills toward Jericho, with the northern end of the 

Dead Sea visible, and the mountains of Moab beyond. Along the Kidron 

the base of the hill is more rugged than any other part of the western side. 

" With the exception of Silwdn at its western base, Bethany at its eastern, 

and Kefret-Tur on its summit. Olivet is deserted. No man dwells there 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



345 



There are three or four little towers, one habitable, the others ruinous — 
built originally as watch-towers for the vineyards and orchards." — Porter. 
See Gethsemane. 

On, (Map 2,) light, and, specially, the sun. The Septuagint translates On 
as Heliopolis, "city of the sun." In Jer. xliii, 13 it bears the name ofBeth- 
Shemesh, which has a similar meaning. The Arab name of On is Mm She?ns, 




PLAIN AND OBELISK OF HELIOPOLIS. 

that is, " fountain of the sun." This was one of the oldest cities in the world. 
It was situated in Lower Egypt, about ten miles north-east of Cairo. On 
is first mentioned in the Bible in Gen. xli, 45, where it is said that Pharaoh 
gave to Joseph a wife, Asenath. the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, 
(compare verse 50, and xlvi, 20.) 

It has been thought that Isaiah speaks of On (Isa. xix, 18, margin) when 
he prophesies that one of the five cities of Egypt that should speak the 
language of Canaan should be called Ir-Ha-Heres ; but see Ir-Ha-IIeres. 
The passage in Jeremiah (xliii, 13) predicts the destruction of On under the 
mime of Beth-Shemesh. When Ezekiel (xxx, 17) declares that "the young 
men of Aven shall fall by the sword," On is intended. See Aven. 

According to Herodotus, Heliopolis was one of the four great cities that 
were rendered famous in Egypt by being the centers of festivals, which were 
attended by solemn religious processions and homage to the gods. In Heli- 
opolis the observance was held in honor of the sun. For a long time this 
city was the chief seat of Egyptian science ; and in Strabo's time were to bo 



346 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

seen the halls in which Eudoxus and Plato had studied undei the direction 
of the priests. Heliopolis suffered greatly from the Persian invasion. It 
furnished works of art to Augustus for adorning Rome, and to Constantino 
for adorning Constantinople. 

The site of the city is now marked by low mounds, inclosing a space 
about three fourths of a mile long by half a mile wide, where once stood 
the famous Temple of the Sun and other buildings. But the only remnant 
of ancient magnificence is a solitary obelisk of red granite, sixty-eight feet 
high. In the neighboring village of Matariyeh is a fountain called 'Ain Shems. 
Near this is a gnarled old sycamore under which tradition says the holy 
family once rested. 

O'no, strong, a town of Benjamin built by the sons of Elpaal, 1 Chron. 
viii, 12. (In 1 Esdr. v, 22, called Onus.) It was re-occupied after the 
captivity, a ad grouped with Lod, Ezra ii, 33 ; Neh. vii, 37. A plain near it 
bore its name, Neh. vi, 2. Nehemiah also mentions a valley in connection 
with it, xi, 35 ; compare 1 Chron. iv, 14. Perhaps the plain and valley were 
identical. Ono was probably near Lod or Lydda. The village of Kefr 'Ana, 
five miles north of Lydda, which has been suggested as the site of Ono, 
seems too far ; while Beit Unia, another village proposed, is much farther 
from Lydda, lying in the mountains between Bethel and Beth-horon. 

O'nus, 1 Esdr. v, 22. The Greek form of Ono. 

O'phel, (Map 7,) the hill, swelling mound, a part of ancient Jerusalem. It 
was surrounded and fortified by a separate wall, 2 Chron. xxvii, 3; 
xxxiii, 14; Neh. iii, 26, 27; xi, 21. After the captivity the Levites (Ne- 
thinim) resided here. Ophel probably was the hill or ridge lying on the east 
of Mount Zion and south of the temple area, between the Tyropceon (the cen- 
tral valley of Jerusalem) and the Valley of Kidron. It is about fifteen hun- 
dred and fifty feet long by two hundred and ninety broad, ending in a rocky 
bluff forty or fifty feet below the pool of Siloam, underneath the southern 
face of which, in a groove of the solid rock, flows " cool Siloam's shady rill." 
In the margin of the A. V. the word is rendered " tower." In 2 Kings v, 24, 
the term " tower," or Ophel, cannot refer to this hill, but possibly to one 
near Samaria. See Jerusalem. 

O'phir, (Map 12,) perhaps abundance, or red, or dust, (the etymology is 
very obscure.) Ophir was a celebrated region, abounding in gold, whence 
the navies of King Solomon and Hiram, sailing from a port on the Red Sea, 
brought back every three years gold, precious stones, and sandal-wood, also 
silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks; 1 Kings ix, 28; x, 11 ; 2 Chron. viii, 18; 
ix, 10. Jehoshaphat attempted to bring gold from Ophir, but his ships 
were wrecked at Ezion-Geber, 1 Kings xxii, 48. The gold of Ophir, proverbial 
for its fineness, is frequently mentioned, Job xxii, 24; xxviii, 16; Psa. xly, 9; 
Isa. xiii, 12 ; 1 Chron. xxix, 4; Tob. xiii, 17 ; Ecclesiasticus vii, 18. 

The exact situation of Ophir has long been a subject of doubt and discus- 
sion. Many have been the localities assigned it. The following countries 
among others have been proposed ; Armenia, Arabia, India, St. Domingo, 
Mexico, New Guinea, Urphe in the Red Sea, and Or muz in the Persian Gulf, 
Ceylon, Pegu, Malacca, Sumatra, Peru, and various parts of Africa. The 
best interpreters now hesitate only between Africa, Arabia, and India. 

Ophir first occurs in the Bible as the name of one of Joktan's sons. Many 
Arabian localities were probably peopled by the Joktanites, the tribes calling 
the territory after their name, and among others Ophir, Gen. x, 26-29. The 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 347 

argument for locating Ophir in Arabia takes it for granted that the author 
of the tenth chapter of Genesis regarded Ophir the son of Joktan as corre- 
sponding to some city, tribe, or region in Arabia. This is undoubtedly a 
reasonable inference. There is an Arabian town, Aphar, called by Ptolemy 
Sapphara, now Zafdr or Saphar, which appears to have been the metropolis 
of the Sabaeans, and distant twelve days' journey from the emporium 
Mvza on the Red Sea. There are also Doffir, a considerable town of Yemen ; 
and Zafar or Zafari, nowDofar, a city on the southern coast of Arabia ; both of 
which towns might agree in name with Ophir. Again it can be urged that 
several ancient writers have represented Arabia as a gold-producing country, 
and rich also in precious stones. And if gold and some other articles 
mentioned above are not now found in Arabia, Ophir may, nevertheless, have 
been an Arabian emporium, or grand market into which were brought these 
precious commodities from India and Africa, and even from Ethiopia, to 
which Herodotus ascribes gold, elephants' teeth, and various kinds of trees. 
Pliny also speaks of the confluence of merchandise in Arabia. Although 
these are strong grounds for locating Ophir in Arabia, there are, neverthe- 
less, arguments of very considerable weight in favor of India as this land of 
gold. Max Muller, in endeavoring to identify India with Ophir, says : 
44 The names for apes, peacocks, ivory, and almug-trees (brought by Solo- 
mon's fleet from Ophir) are foreign words in Hebrew, as much as gutta- 
percha or tobacco are in English. Now, if we wished to know from what 
part of the world gutta-percha was first imported into England, we might 
safely conclude that it came from that country where the name gutta-percha 
formed part of the spoken language. If, therefore, we can find a language 
in which the names for peacocks, apes, ivory, and almug-trees, which are 
foreign to the Hebrew, are indigenous, we may be certain that the country 
in which that language was spoken must have been the Ophir of the Bible. 
That language is no other but Sanscrit, the parent language of the East 
India languages." 

Some few eminent writers locate Ophir on the eastern coast of Africa, 
making it comprise Nigritia and the Sofala of Arabian writers, now Zangue- 
bar and Mozambique, where there is a gold district called Fura. Discoveries 
made by Britton, Merensky, Gruetzner, and Mauch point to Zimabye as the 
long-lost site. Gold, diamonds, and precious stones abound, and there are 
ruins of undoubted antiquity. 

Oph'ni, moldy, a city of the Benjamites, Josh, xviii, 24. Probably it is 
the Gophna of Josephus, and the Gufna, or Beth-Gufnin, of the Talmud, 
which still survives in the modern Ji/na or Jufna, two or three miles north- 
west of BetheL 

Oph rah, female fawn. 

1. A p*jce in Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 23; 1 Sam. xiii, 17. This is perhaps 
identical with Ephrain or Ephron, 2 Chron. xiii, 19; and Ephraim, John 
xi, 54; and Apherema, 1 Mace, xi, 34. Possibly the site of Ophrah may be 
at the modern Et-Taiyibeh, about five Roman miles north-east of Bethel. 
Here are ancient ruins on a commanding site. 

2. A town in Manasseh, west of the Jordan, the native place of Gideon, 
and the scene of his exploits against Baal, Judg. vi, 11, 24. Here alto Gid- 
eon resided after his accession to power, and this was the place of his burial, 
Judg. viii, 32; ix, 5. Ophrah became a place of pilgrimage and public 
resort, because here was deposited the ephod which was made or enriched 



348 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

with the ornaments taken from the Ishmaelite followers of Zebah and Zal- 
munna, Judg. viii, 27. Not identified. 

O'reb, 2 Esdr. ii, 33. Mount Horeb. 

O'reb, The Rock, the raven 1 s crag, the place where the men of Ephraim 
put to death Oreb, a prince of Midian, from whom it derived its name, 
Judg. vii, 25; Isa. x, 26. It is claimed byReland and others that Oreb was 
east of the Jordan, (compare Judg. vii, 25, and viii, 1,) and they suggest 
that the site of this rock or place may have been ' Orbo, a place in the neigh- 
borhood of Beth-Shean, mentioned by the rabbinical writers. But from Judg. 
viii, 4, it appears that Gideon crossed the river in his pursuit of the "kings 
of Midian." May we not infer that Oreb was slain on the west side of the 
river, and that his head was taken to Gideon " on the other side of Jordan." 

Pa'dan-A'ram, (Map 1,) the plain, or arable land, of Syria; Aram of the 
field. In Gen. xlviii, 7, Padan. (See Aram.) The name by which the 
Hebrews designated the tract of country which they otherwise called Aram- 
Naharaim, " Aram of the two rivers," the Greek Mesopotamia, Gen. xxiv, 10, 
and " the field (country) of Aram," Hosea xii, 12. The term was perhaps 
more especially applied to that portion which bordered on the Euphrates, to 
distinguish it from the mountainous districts in the north and north-east of 
Mesopotamia. Abraham sent his steward to Padan- Aram, to the " city of 
Nahor," Gen. xxiv, 10. Only from the family, the offspring of Nahor and 
Milcah, Abraham's brother and niece, could a wife be sought for Isaac, the 
heir of promise, Gen. xxv, 20 ; and Jacob, the inheritor of his blessing, Gen. 
xxviii, 2, 5, 6, 7 ; xxxi, 18 ; xxxiii, 18 ; xxxv, 9, 26 ; xlvi, 15 ; xlviii, 7. 

Dr. Tilstone Beke has suggested that we are to seek the Aram-Naharaim 
and the Padan- Aram of the Bible in those extensive plains of luxuriant pas- 
tures which extend for more than three days' journey eastward beyond the 
Jebel Hauran. (Map 5.) His reasons chiefly rest on the identification of 
the Haran of the Bible with Harran-el-Awamid, or Harrdn of the Pillars, a 
village four hours east of Damascus, first noticed in Porter's Five Years in 
Damascus. See Haran. 

Pa'i, a bleating, 1 Chron. i, 50. See Pau. 

Palesti'na, Exod. xv, 14; Isa. xiv, 29, 31. See Palestine. 

Palestine, (Maps 3, 4, 5, 8,) land of strangers, or emigrants. 

I. Names. — The Hebrew word is Pelesheth. The same term is sometimes 
translated Philistia. In no part of Scripture does either the Hebrew word, or 
the English Palestina or Palestine, refer to the whole region in question : they 
signify simply " Philistia," " the land of the Philistines." (See Philistia.) 
The Greek writers used the form Palcestina, employing it at first in the same 
limited sense, but afterward including under that name the whole land of 
Palestine on both sides the Jordan, as allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel. 
However, ancient classic writers, as also early Christian authors, did not 
always employ the terms consistently — sometimes referring merely to Phi- 
listia, again to all the region west of Jordan, and sometimes to the entire 
land on both sides the river. Hence only by the context can the student 
understand in what sense the term is employed. See Boundaries below. 

This country is known in Scripture by various other names : Canaan, 
Num. xxxiii, 51; The Land of Promise, Gen. xiii, 15; Heb. xi, 9; The Land 
of Jehovah, Hosea ix, 3; Land of Israel, 1 Sam. xiii, 19; The Land, Ruth 
L, 1; Immanuel's Land, Isa. viii, 8; (="thy land, Immanuel;") Judea 



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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 351 

(but at first confined to the inheritance of the tribe of Judah,) 2 Chron. ix, 11 ; 
The Holy Land, Zech. ii, 12. During the Middle Ages this last name nearly 
superseded all others, and it is now adopted, with Palestine, as a geographi- 
cal terra. "The very dust and stones and air of the land are still consid- 
ered holy by the poor Jews." 

II. Situation and Boundaries. — The Jews regarded Palestine as the 
center of the earth. An absurd tradition, still current in Jerusalem, makes 
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the physical center of the world ; and 
under the dome of the Greek church is a spot claimed to be the exact point 
as indicated by our Lord himself. Aside from empty tradition, it may bo 
trutl Ailly remarked that this wonderful region of country, standing midway 
between Assyria, Egypt, and Greece, those three greatest ancient empires, 
was indeed for ages the only center of religious light and knowledge among 
the nations of the earth. 

As to the exact limits of Palestine writers very greatly differ — a fact that 
has caused much confusion in sacred geography. In the Bible we find seve- 
ral boundaries mentioned: (1.) As promised to Abraham and his seed; 
(2.) As described by Moses before his death ; (3.) As actually allotted to the 
twelve tribes by Joshua ; and (4.) As shown in Ezekiel's vision. 

Concerning the first: The Lord said to Abraham at Sichem, "Unto thy 
deed will I give this land," Gen. xii, 7. At Bethel God said, "All the land 
which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever," Gen. xiii, 15. 
This view could not have embraced one fourth of Palestine. But in Gen. 
xv, 18, the Lord made very definite the patriarch's vast inheritance when he 
declared : " Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt, 
(here doubtless meaning the Nile,) unto the great river, the river Euphrates." 
This promise was renewed just after the Israelites had left Egypt. See Exod. 
xxiii, 31, where the boundaries are given with still more fullness. The spe- 
cific conditions of faithfulness (Exod. xxiii, 22, 23) not having been fulfilled 
by Israel, this whole territory was not given to the people, Josh, xxiii, 13-16; 
Judg. ii, 20-23. Yet it is recorded of King David that he " went to recover 
his border at the river Euphrates," and that he conquered the whole coun- 
try from Egypt to the Euphrates, and from the desert of Arabia to the Medi- 
terranean, 2 Sam. viii, 3-8. But this great area of the " Land of Promise," 
originally given to Abraham, is not intended under the name of Palestine. 

The boundaries as described by Moses are given with much fullness in 
Num. xxxiv, 1-12. This territory was much less extended than that prom- 
ised to Abraham. The southern border extended from Kadesh-Barnea, in a 
line running a little north of west, (see Map 2,) to the "river of Egypt," 
(probably the stream known now as Wady el-Arish.) The western border 
was the " great sea," the Mediterranean. The eastern boundary line 
extended through the Valley of Ccele-Syria, and along the Jordan, and thu3 
excluded all the country east of the Jordan. But Moses regarded the land 
east of the river as part of the inheritance, for he had already allotted it to 
three of the tribes, Num. xxxii, 1-33; xxxiii, 50-54. See Reuben, Gad, 
Manasseh. The passage in Num. xxxiv, 7-9, which gives the northern 
limit, is variously interpreted. Some make the parallel of Antioch the 
north border; others run the line near the parallel of Sidon, the dispute 
having reference chiefly to the precise location of " the entrance of Ha- 
math," (verse 8.) The point near Sidon is "the entrance" to Hamoth, 
going north from central Palestine ; but Moses, in this passage, is speaking 



352 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of the boundary going east from the sea-coast, or from Mount Hor. As by 
■• Mount Hor " the great range of Lebanon is doubtless intended, (see 
Hor, 2,) the sacred writer must have referred to some well-known " pass " 
from Lebanon into the kingdom of Hamath. Mr. Porter ably maintains this 
view, and finds such a " pass " not far west of Emesa. (see Map 4,) running 
from the west between the northern end of Lebanon and the Nusairiyek 
mountains. The northern boundary line, as fixed by Mr. Porter, began at 
the sea, apparently at or near the mouth of the river Eleutherus, and " ran 
eastward to the northern peak of Lebanon ; thence it swept round through 
the pass, and extended north-east to Hamath ; then it turned south-east by 
Ziphron, (Zifrun,) and Zedad, (Sudud,) to Hazar-Enan, (Kuryetein") 

All this territory was never actually possessed by the Israelites, although 
the conquests of David reached beyond it, and Solomon for a time received 
tribute from its nations and tribes. From Sidon northward the range of 
Lebanon was still held by the Giblites and other tribes, Judg. iii, 1-3 ; the 
Phoenicians held the coast-plain north of Carmel, while a large portion of 
the Shephelah, with the southern sea-board, was still retained by the Philis- 
tines. The Lord made known to the Jews that these various nations were 
left in the land " to prove Israel," Judg. iii, 4. It must be remembered that 
the term Palestine does not include all the territory just indicated. 

The land as allotted to the tribes is described in Num. xxxii; Josh, xiii, 8-32; 
and in Josh, xv-xix. The south line was the same as that described by 
Moses ; compare Num. xxxiv, 3-5 ; Josh, xv, 2-4. The west border was also 
the same; Josh, xv, 11; xvi, 3, 8; xvh, 9, 10; xix, 29. The north border 
began at Sidon on the coast, (Map 5 ;) thence it ran south-east across 
Lebanon to Ijon and Dan, Josh, xix, 28; 1 Kings xv, 20; thence over the 
southern shoulder of Hermon to the northern end of the mountains of 
Bashan, Num. xxxii, 33 ; Deut. iii, 8-14 ; Josh, xii, 4-6. The east border is 
not so clearly defined. Salcah and Bashan are given as eastern limits, 
Josh, xii, 5; xiii, 11; Deut. iii, 10. From Salcah it appears to have run 
south-west along the border of the Arabian wilderness (Midbar) to the river 
Arnon, Josh, xii, 1, 2. Thence turning west it followed the river fine to the 
Dead Sea, excluding Moab and Edom. Compare Maps 5 and 14. Some of 
the territory thus allotted to the tribes was never conquered nor occupied. 
Thus the Philistines and the Phoenicians still held their possessions along 
the coast, and some of the northern nations retained their mountain strong- 
holds, as did the Geshurites and Maachathites theirs in Bashan, Judg. i, 19, 
31, 33; Josh, xiii, 13. 

Ttte borders of the land, according to EzeJcieVs vision, are the same as those 
described by Moses, except on the east, and include, in addition to the area 
given by Moses, the whole kingdom of Damascus, and the possessions of 
Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh, Ezek. xlvii, 13-21. 

Modern Palestine does not exactly correspond with any of the preceding 
boundaries, nor have its limits been precisely fixed by geographers. They 
are thus given approximately by Mr. Porter : " On the south a line drawn 
from the lower end of the Dead Sea to Beersheba and Gaza; on the west 
the Mediterranean ; on the north a line drawn from the mouth of the River 
Litany to Dan, and thence across Jebel el-Hish and the plain of Haurdn to 
the northern end of the Haurdn mountains ; on the east, a line running from 
the north-eastern angle through Salcah to Kerak and the Dead Sea." Pales- 
tine is therefore about 140 miles long from Dan to Beersheba, about 60 



, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 355 

miles wide on its southern line, and about 100 miles on the northern border, 
having a superficial area of about 12,000 square miles. Speaking of this 
small area, Dean Stanley says : " In Palestine, as in Greece, every traveler 
is struck with the smallness of the territory. He is surprised, even after all 
that he has heard, at passing, in one long day, from the capital of* Judea to 
that of Samaria; or at seeing, within eight hours, three such spots as Hebron, 
Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. . . . The time is now gone by when the grandeur 
of a country is measured by its size, or the diminutive extent of an illustri- 
ous people can otherwise than enhance the magnitude of what they have 
done. The ancient taunt, however, and the facts which suggested it, may 
still illustrate the feeling which appears in their own records. The contrast 
between the littleness of Palestine and the vast extent of the empires which 
hung upon its northern and southern skirts, is rarely absent from the mind 
of the prophets and Psalmists. It helps them to exalt their sense of the 
favor of God toward their land by magnifying their little hills and dry 
torrent-beds into an equality with the giant hills of Lebanon and Hermon, 
and the sea-like rivers of Mesopotamia. . . . Nor is it only the smallness, 
but the narrowness, of the territory which is remarkable. From almost 
every high point in the country its whole breadth is visible, from the long 
wall of the Moab hills on the east, to the Mediterranean sea on the west." 
Compare Psa. lxviii, 15 ; Isa. ii, 2; Psa. xlvi, 4. 

HI. Divisions. See Canaan, Phoenicia, Philistia, Gilead, Bashan, 
Judea, Galilee, Samaria, and also each of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. 

IV. Physical Geography. The study of the physical geography of 
Palestine is one of the best keys to its history. This subject cannot here 
be fully exhibited, as the student will find it presented in the various ar- 
ticles named above under the head of Divisions. 

Mountains. The mountainous nature of Palestine is well illustrated in 
the cut which opens this article. It is copied from a remarkable painting 
executed by Professor W. H. Perrine, of Michigan. For its use we are in- 
debted to the " Sunday-School Journal." A mountain range extends 
through the center of the country, beginning with the grand range of 
Lebanon on the north, and running in nearly a south line (not parallel with 
the coast) to the southern end of the land. Near the center this ridge is 
intersected by a belt of plain called Esdraelon. The northern part of the 
ridge is picturesque, and often grand. But the aspect of the southern part 
is iu general dull and uuiform. But " in traveling down the road which 
runs along the broad back of the ridge to Jerusalem and Hebron the eye 
sees an endless succession of rounded hill-tops, thrown confusedly together, 
each bare and rocky as its neighbor. South of Hebron these sink into low, 
swelling hills, similar in form, but smaller ; and these again gradually melt 
into the desert plain of et-Tth." — Porter. See Lebanon, Tabor, Ebal, 
Giirizim, Moriah, Olives, Mount of. From this central ridge at the plain 
of Esdraelon Carmel shoots oft", and terminates at the Mediterranean in a 
high, bold promontory. See Carmel. 

On the east of the Jordan is also a mountain range. The whole country 
east of this river is a grand elevated terrace, from which rise the various 
mountain heights. See Hermon, Gilead. Nebo, Abarim, Moab. The 
mountain mass of Palestine is Jura limestone, with basaltic and other 
deposits, and it gives evidence of having been greatly disturbed either by 
volcanic action or otherwise. East of the Jordan black basalt forms that 

17 



356 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

whole district of Bashan called the Lejah. See Argob. Basalt also under- 
lies the plain of Esdraelon. 

Plains. — See Philistia, Sharon, Esdraelon, Hauran. "The Philistine 
plain is one vast corn-field." — Ayre. (Compare Zeph. ii, 5, 6.) Sliaron's 
"wide undulations are sprinkled with Bedouin tents, and vast flocks of 
sheep." — Stanley. (See 1 Chron. xxvii, 29.) " Esdraelon is far from being 
a dead level, the western half having a decided dip toward the sea, while 
itH different parts roll up in long swells like gigantic waves. ... I have 
seen nothing to compare it with except some of our rolling prairies in the 
"West, and these lack Tabor, and Little Hermon, and Gilboa, and Carmel, 
and a hundred other natural beauties." — Thomson. The Tfauran is "one 
uniform plain of surpassing fertility. Not a rock or stone can be seen 
except on the little conical hills that appear here and there on its surface." — 
Porter. 

Valleys. — See Jordan, Kidron, Hinnom, Achor, Ajalon, Elah, Jez- 
reel, Succoth, Rephaim. These are the chief valleys. The valley of the 
Jordan is the most remarkable feature in the physical geography of Pales- 
tine. Eor details concerning it see Jordan, and compare the profile cut of 
the Jordan line accompanying the present article. 

Streams. — There are many streams in Palestine, but in reality only one 
that is deserving the name of river — the Jordan. Several of the streams 
are perennial. See Arnon, Jabbok, Kishon. To this class belong also the 
Yarmuk, Belus, and others not? mentioned in Scripture. Among the hills are 
many fountains, and there are winter-torrents flowing from the mountains. 
Throughout the land also are wells, cisterns, and aqueducts. These indi- 
cate the inconstant supply of water from natural sources, and illustrate the 
labors of the patriarchs in digging wells and defending them. See Gen. 
xxvi, 15; Deut. vi, 11; 2 Sam. xxiii, 15; John iv, 6. 

Lakes. — See Galilee, Sea op ; Merom, Waters op ; Sea, Salt. 

Climate. — Palestine embraces a very great variety of climate and temper- 
ature. On the northern border may be found the region of perpetual snow. 
In the south, by the sultry shores of the Dead Sea, are the heat and vegeta- 
tion of the tropics ; while throughout other portions of the land the various 
shades of climate produce the vine and the fig-tree; the palm and the 
banana yield their fruit, and the oak and pine flourish. Snow falls along 
the higher portions of the land, but is seldom seen below an elevation of two 
thousand feet. South of Hebron snow is rare, and frost less intense. Along 
the sea-board of Philistia and Sharon, and in the Jordan Valley, snow and 
frost are unknown. The summer heat varies much in different localities, 
being especially oppressive along the shores of the Dead Sea. The dry soil 
and dry atmosphere render the greater part of the coast salubrious. At 
Hebron and at Jerusalem, and generally along the summit of the central 
ridge, the heat is never intense; yet travel becomes exhausting by reason 
of the cloudless sun and the white soil. 

Rain. — The autumnal rains begin about the last of October. In Lebanon 
they occur about a month earlier. In October the quantity of rain is small. 
The rainy season then follows, continuing at intervals during four months. 
Many of the showers are very heavy. Rain falls at intervals in April, and 
becomes less frequent in May, by the end of which month it altogether 
ceases. During the next four months no rain falls, except on occasions so 
rare as to cause not merely surprise, but alarm ; and not a cloud is seen in 




HUNT &. EATON, NEW YORK 



BIBLE GEOGKAPHY. 361 

the heavens as large as a man's hand Compare 1 Sam. xH, 17, 18 ; Sol. 

Season's.— Seed-time begins in October, after the first rains, and continues 
bll January Harvest in the lower Valley of the Jordan sometimes begins 
at he end of March ; in the hill country of Judea it is nearly a month later 
and m Lebanon it rarely begins before June, and is not compS in The 

a^r Cr th! g ;° aS Ul l ? 6 G , nd ° f July ' The - vou ^ Srass shoots CmNovember 
after the heavy falls of rain, and in December the ground is covered with 

SS"1h ^ g6S ' lem °f '• ^ dtr ° nS are ri P e in J ™™y; ^ May apri. 
cots ; and in the warm plains by the Sea of Galilee melons are produced in 
the same month. Figs, cherries, and plums ripen in June; LdKe san^ 
month are gathered roses from the " Vallev of Roses " npirTrl ! 

t eg ztr i Damascus ' for the ««^^n«SJ rnSys 

of'S NC ^P 01 "^ 30 ^.^ m Perfection in August, the crowninf time 
an/rho ? ****** . contmues th ™ugh September. A few week? SS« 
and the whole country is parched, the soil becomes dust, and alHs barren 

Plants.— Only the principal plants of Palestine can here be noticed Tha 
\v cstern slopes of the Judean mountains. The arbutus, hawthorn DistaohirT 



362 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

birds are eagles, vultures, kites, falcons, owls, ravens, crows, quails, par- 
tridges, storks, herons, sea-swallows, gulls, doves, and various birds of song. 
Reptiles exist in great variety. Lizards are almost every-where among the 
rocks and old ruins. Serpents abound. The scorpion and tarantula are 
less numerous. There are frogs, toads, and tortoises. Crocodiles are also 
said to exist in the Crocodile River, in the plain of Sharon. Insects are 
exceedingly numerous. The common fly and mosquito are found ; also tho 
bee, the wasp, and the hornet. There are horse-flies, butterflies, ants, spi- 
ders, grasshoppers, beetles, earwigs, with the glow-worm and the fire-fly, 
and, the most formidable of all, the locust. 

V. Modern Divisions. — These consist of two great pa shalics: (1.) Sidon, 
embracing all "Western Palestine ; and (2,) Damascus, all east of the Jordan. 

The present inhabitants of Palestine are a mixed race, descendants of the 
ancient Syrians, and of the Arabs who came in with the armies of Khalifs. 
There are a few Jews, Armenians, and Turks. The Druses, who reside in 
Haurdn, and occupy a few villages in Galilee and on Carmel, are converts 
from Mohammedanism. Patriotism is unknown. There is scarcely a man 
in the land who would give a para to save it from ruin. " The patriotism 
of the Syrian is confined to his own house ; any thing beyond it does not 
concern him — selfishness reigns supreme." 

For the History of Palestine see Canaan; Jews; Israel; Judah; 
Maccabees ; Jerusalem. 

Palestine is now pre-eminently "a land of ruins." "Every-where, on 
plain and mountain, in rocky desert and on beetling cliff, are seen the re- 
mains of cities and villages. In Western Palestine there are heaps of stones, 
or white dust and rubbish, strewn over low tells ; in Eastern the ruins are 
often of great extent and magnificence." — Porter. " The ruins we now see 
are of the most diverse ages ; Saracenic, Crusading, Roman, Grecian, Jewish, 
extending perhaps even to the old Canaanitish remains, before the arrival 
of Joshua. This variety, this accumulation of destruction, is the natural 
result of the position which has made Palestine for so many ages the thor- 
oughfare and prize of the world." — Stanley. 

Pamphyl'ia, (Map 8,) nation made of every tribe (?), a province of Asia 
Minor. It is on the southern coast, bending in the form of a crescent round 
a wide, open bay, Acts xxvii, 5. Round the head of the bay sweeps an undu- 
lating plain, shut in in the background by a semicircle of lofty mountains. 
This plain is nowhere more than twenty miles broad, its total length being 
about eighty miles. Its surface is furrowed by a series of alternate low 
rocky ridges and broad picturesque valleys, down which wind rivers and 
torrents. This narrow strip of land constituted the ancient province or 
principality of Pamphylia. Later, during the Roman rule in Asia Minor, this 
province included a large section of Pisidia on the north, and of Lycia on 
the west ; and at one period the pro-consul of Pamphylia ruled all Lycia. 
Luke distinguishes Lycia from Pamphylia, Acts xxvii, 5. Many Jews settled 
in Pamphylia, 1 Mace, xv, 23. Strangers from Pamphylia were in Jerusa- 
lem on the day of Pentecost, Acts ii, 10. Perga, in Pamphylia, on the river 
Cestrus, about eight miles from the coast, was the first place in Asia Minor 
which Paul visited in his first missionary journey, Acts xiii, 13. In the 
verse just referred to occurs the record, "And John, departing from them, 
returned to Jerusalem." John's reason for so doing is not intimated. Com- 
pare Acts xv, 36-40. Prom Perga Paul and his companions went north "to 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 363 

Antioch in Pisidia," (xiii, 14,) doubtless encountering " perils by robbers" 
aver the wild mountain road. " And after they had passed throughout Pisidia 
they came to Pamphylia. And when they had preached the word in Perga, 
they went down into Attalia: and thence sailed to Antioch," Acts xiv, 
24-26. The province has now a few little towns and villages near the coast, 
some of which contain remains of former grandeur. 

Pa'phos, (Map 8,) which boils, or is hot, a city of Cyprus at the western 
end of the island. It was the seat of the Roman governor. When Paul 
visited Paphos, the governor, Sergius Paulus, was converted through the 
apostle's preaching and the miracle performed on Elymas, the sorcerer, 
Acts xiii, 6-11. Paphos, or "New Paphos," was noted for the worship of 
Venus, who is fabled to have risen from the sea at this place ; hence one 
of her names, Paphia ; but her grand temple was at "Old Paphos," which 
was not far from the harbor and the chief town, " New Paphos." The new 
city had also a temple. The modern name is Baffa, where ruins are found. 

Par'adise. See Eden. 

Pa'rah, the cow, heifer-town, a town in the territory of Benjamin, grouped 
between Bethel and Ophrah, Josh, xviii, 23. Possibly the site may be at 
the ruins called Khurbet Farah, in Wady Fdrah, about three miles below 
Michmash, at the junction with Wady Suioeinit. 

Pa'ran, (Map 2,) a place of caves, the name of a wilderness and of a 
mountain. 

1. A desert or wilderness, having Palestine on the north, the Valley of 
Arabah on the east, and the Desert of Sinai on the south. Its western 
boundary (which is not mentioned in the Bible) appears to have extended 
to Egypt and the Mediterranean, 1 Kings xi, 18. The first notice of Paran 
is in connection with the invasion of the confederate kings. This invasion 
swept over Mount Seir " unto El-Paran, which is by the wilderness," Gen. 
xiv, 6. Hagar and Ishmael went from Abraham's tent at Beersheba out 
into "the wilderness of Paran," Gen. xxi, 14, 21. When the Israelites 
took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai, it is recorded that " the 
cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran," Num. x, 12. A march of several 
days intervened between Sinai and Paran, Num. x, 33: xi, 3, 34, 35; 
xii. 16. From Paran the spies were sent out to survey Canaan, Num. xiii, 3; 
and, after completing their mission, they returned to the camp, "unto the 
wilderness of Paran to Kadesh," verse 26. The detailed itinerary in Num. 
xxxiii does not mention Paran, because it was the name of a wide region ; 
but the many stations in Paran are recorded, (17-36,) and probably all the 
eighteen stations there mentioned between Hazeroth and Kadesh were in 
Paran. Moses says of Paran, " We went through all that great and terrible 
wilderness which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, and 
we came to Kadesh-Barnea," Deut. i, 1-19. Through this very wide 
wilderness, from pasture to pasture, as do the modern Arab tribes, the 
Israelites wandered in irregular lines of march. And it was when about 
entering on this toilsome and fearful march that Moses besought his father- 
in-law, Jethro, not to leave them; because, as a nomad pastoral chief, he 
knew the best pastures and all the wells and fountains, Num. x, 31. In 
later times David took refuge in this wilderness after Samuel's death, 1 Sam. 
xxv, 1. This reference shows that Paran bordered on the southern declivi- 
ties of the mountains of Judah. Probably its boundary was not very ac- 
curately defined, and whatever part of that region lay beyond the limits of 



364 BIBLE GEOGBAPHY. 

settled habitation was called "the wilderness or pasture-land of Paran," and 
this included a large section of the Negeb, (which see.) Josephus mentions 
a valley of Paran, but it was situated somewhere in the wilderness of Judea. 
This region, through which the Israelites journeyed so long, is now called 
by the name it has borne for ages, Bedu et-Tih, *"the wilderness of wander- 
ing." Between the wilderness of Zin and that of Paran there seems to be no 
distinct boundary line. See Zin. 

Travelers passing through the district of Et-Tih corroborate Moses's descrip- 
tion in Deut. i, 19. See Sinai; Wilderness. 

2. Mount Paran. In Deut. xxxiii, 2, Moses says : " The Lord came from 
Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran." 
In Hab. iii, 3, the prophet, in describing the glory of God, says : " God came 
from Teman, and the Holy one from Mount Paran." Teman was another 
name for Edom or Seir, and hence the local allusions of Moses and Habakkuk 
are identical. Mount Paran was doubtless the ridge or series of ridges lying on 
the north-east part of the wilderness of Et- Tih, and now called Jebel-Magrdh. 

Par'thians, (Maps 1, 17,) occurs only in Acts ii, 9, in the list of the mul- 
titudes who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The persons here 
indicated were Jews who had settled in Parthia. Parthia, called also Par- 
thyaea and Parthyene, was originally a small mountainous district lying to 
the north-east of Media. Ancient Parthia, or Parthia proper, lay between 
Aria and Hyrcania, and was peopled by a rude and poor tribe of Scythian 
origin. It formed a part of the great Persian monarchy, being a dependency 
on the satrapy of Hyrcania. The Parthians were a part of the army of 
Xerxes, and also of that of the last Darius. They took sides with Eumenes 
on the breaking up of Alexander's kingdom, and became subject to Antig- 
onus and the Seleucidae. About 256 B. C, revolting against the Syro- 
Macedonian power, the Parthians succeeded in establishing their independ- 
ence under Arsaces I. The sovereigns under this dynasty are known as the 
Arsacidae. Here was the beginning of the great Parthian empire, which in 
the early days of Christianity extended itself over all the provinces of what 
had been the Persian kingdom, having the Euphrates for its western bound- 
ary, by which it was separated from the dominions of Rome. Parthia, as a 
power, almost rivaled Rome, and indeed it was the only existing power 
which the Romans could not subjugate. By the defeat and destruction of 
Crassus near Carrhae, (the scriptural Harran,) the Parthians acquired that 
character for military prowess ascribed to them by the best writers of the 
Roman classical period. Their chief strength was in the vast multitude of 
their horsemen, whose skill with the bow and arrow was very remarkable. 
These expert horsemen were specially dreaded by the Romans. With the 
latter the Parthians frequently contended, sometimes vanquished, some- 
times victors, until, in A. D. 226, Artabanus, the last of the Arsacidae, was 
forced to yield his kingdom to the revolted Persians, who under Artaxerxes, 
son of Sassan, succeeded in re-establishing their empire. The rulers of this 
new Persian empire received the name of Sassanidae. Thus the Parthian 
kingdom lasted nearly five centuries. During the Syro-Macedonian period 
the Parthian and Jewish history kept apart in separate spheres, but under 
the Romans the Parthians defended the party of Antigonus against Hyr- 
canus, and even took and plundered Jerusalem, 40 B. C. The Parthians 
strove to imitate the art and polish of any whom they conquered. Many of 
their efforts at imitation were ludicrous failures, yet in following the Greek 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 305 

models they liad some measure of success. Their architecture was better 
than their sculpture, and some of the Parthian ruins are among the most 
remarkable of Oriental remains. 

Parvaim, perhaps eastern regions, a region mentioned in 2 Chron. iii, 5, 
as producing the finest gold. Bochart and others would identify this place 
with Ophir. Some propose Barbatia on the Tigris, which is named by 
Pliny. Hitzig suggests "hill," from the Sanscrit paru, as the meaning, and 
refers Parvaim to Arabia. Wilford, Gesenius, and other good scholars, would 
derive the word from the Sanscrit p&rva, "eastern," a general term corre- 
sponding to our Levant; thus, "gold of Parvaim" would signify gold of the 
eastern regions. 

Pas-Dam'mim, the end or cessation of blood, a place mentioned only in 
1 Chron. xi, 13, in describing the scene of a fierce contest with the Philis- 
tines. In 1 Sam. xvii, 1, the form is Ephes-Dammim. Which form is the 
earlier or more correct has not been decided. This place lay on the side of 
the Valley of Elah, between Shochoh and Azekah. It may have been a little 
district and not a town. Van de Velde proposes to identify Ephes-Dammim 
with some ruins called Ddm&m, three miles east of Shochoh up the valley. 
Mr. Porter, who carefully surveyed this region, thinks the camp of the 
Philistines must have been west of Shochoh. 

Pat'ara, (Map 8,) a Lycian city in Asia Minor, situated on the sea-coast. 
Paul visited it on his journey from Greece to Syria, Acts xxi, 1, 2. Patara 
was a very ancient city, founded, it is said, by Patarus, a son of Apollo, and 
devoted to the worship of Apollo. At the time of Paul's visit it doubtless 
was, as it had long been, a splendid and populous city. Paul remained not 
more than a few hours, probably, yet Christianity obtained a hold in the city, 
and it subsequently became the seat of a bishop, and was represented in the 
Council of Nice. Ruins of great extent and beauty remain, including a 
theater, some baths, a triple arch which was one of the gates of the city, an 
old castle, temples, altars, and columns. Traces of the walls are found, but 
the site of the city is now a desert, and sand hills are gradually concealing 
the ruins themselves. Over the great city gate-way is the inscription in 
Greek, " Patara, the metropolis of the Lycians." The ruins bear the old 
name. 

Path'ros, probably region of the south, or, perhaps, the abode of Rat-Her, 
(the P,gyptian Venus.) a part of Upper Egypt, probably lying about Thebes. 
In Gen. x, 14, and 1 Chron. i, 12, we have the plural of Pathros, Pathrusim, 
which is given as the name of a Mizraite tribe. The Mizraim were from 
Masor, a son of Ham, Gen. x, 6 ; and the Pathrusim from Pathros, son 
of Masor, xiii, 14. The tribe gave their name to the country which they 
settled, and perhaps, too, the name was descriptive of their country. One 
of the provinces of Thebais was called Phaturites, a name which is identical 
with the word by which the Septuagint renders Pathros. In Isa. xi, 1 1, the 
prophet seems to distinguish Pathros from Mizraim, but Jeremiah evidently 
includes it in the latter, Jer. xliv, 1, 15; while in Ezek. xxix, 14, Pathros 
Beems to be only another name for Mizraim, (Egypt.) See Ezek. xxx, 14. 
Thus the sacred writers always group Pathros with Egypt. Jerome, in 
translating the passage in Ezekiel, (xxix, 14,) appears to have thought that 
Pathros was the earliest seat of the Egyptian nation, an opinion warranted 
by the passage, and corroborated by traditional records and existing monu- 
ments. There can be no doubt that Pathros was the country which by 



366 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 




classic geographers is usually called Thebai's — a strip of fertile valley form- 
ing the basin of the Nile. It was shut in on the east and west by deserts, 
and extended from the Delta on the north to Philae on the south. 

Pathru'sim. Gen. x, 14; 1 Chron. i, 12. The people of Pathros, which 
see. 

Pat'mos, (Map 8,) the island in the iEgean Sea to which St. John was 
banished "for the testimony of Jesus," Rev. i, 9. Patmos was about fifteen 

miles in circuit. On account of its rocky, bar- 
ren, and desolate nature, the Roman govern- 
ment used the island as a place to which they 
might banish the very worst criminals. It is 
said that these convicts had to work in mines 
that existed on the island. Among such vi- 
cious characters the pure and loving John was 
obliged to live in exile. Here, on this sterile 
spot, he was favored with those visions from 
heaven which have invested Patmos with the 
deepest interest to the Christian. 

The coast of Patmos is high, and consists of 
a succession of capes, which form so many ports, 
some of which are excellent. The only one in use is a deep bay, sheltered 
by high mountains on every side but one, where it is protected by a project- 
ing cape. The only inhabited site of the island is the town attached to this 
port. It is situated on a high rocky mountain, rising immediately from the 
sea, and contains about four hundred houses ; while the landing place below, 
La Scala, has about fifty, including some shops. In the middle of the town, 
on the very top of the mountain, is a monastery named after St. John. It 
was built by the Emperor Alexius Comnenus. The library contains a great 
many printed books and manuscripts, the latter of which have been examined 
and described by Dr. Clarke and Professor Carlisle. About half-way up the 
mountain from La Scala to the town is shown a natural grotto in the rock, 
where St. John is supposed to have witnessed his visions, and to have 
written the Revelation. A small church is built over the grotto, connected 
with which is a school or college where the ancient Greek literature is said 
to be well taught and understood. In the Middle Ages the island bore the 
name of Palmosa ; now it is called Patino. 

Pa'u, a bleating, a place probably in Idumaea. In 1 Chron. i, 50, Pai, the 
" city " of Hadar, King of Edom, Gen. xxxvi, 39. A ruined site in Idumaea 
called Phauara may possibly be identical with Pan, but quite uncertain. 

Pe'kod, visitation, punishment, or noble (?), a name applied to Babylonia, or 
part of it, Jer. 1, 21; and to the inhabitants collectively, Ezek. xxiii, 23. 
The passage in Jeremiah may be applied to Babylonia and its people as tho 
object of Jehovah's wrath, but the passage in Ezekiel seems to have a dif- 
ferent signification. The terms "visit" and "punish" are often used con- 
cerning the whole or parts of Babylonia. Compare with the above Jer. 1, 
18, 27, 31 ; Psa. cxxxvii, 8. A city called P\od, in Babylonia, where there 
was a school, is mentioned by the Rabbins. 

Pe'lethites, The, according to Gesenius, runners, couriers. With the 
Cherethites the Pelethites composed the body-guard of King David, 2 Sam. 
viii, 18; xv, 18; xx, 7, 23; 1 Kings i, 38, 44; 1 Chron. xviii, 17. Mr. Poole, 
of the British Museum, (in Smith's Dictionary,) doubts Gesenius's interpreta- 







yuiffiB 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY". 3G0 

tion of these names, and suggests that the Egyptian monuments throw 
fresh light on their etymology. He argues that Rameses III. conquered a 
nation under the name of " Shayretana of the Sea," and that these latter 
people were probably the Cretans, who were identical with the Cherethim. 
Egyptian kings of the nineteenth and twentieth dynasties employed the 
Cherethim as mercenaries. Although the Pelethites have not been simi- 
larly traced in Egyptian geography, yet the similarity of the two names, and 
the fact that they are usually mentioned together, favor the idea that both 
were of the same stock. The etymology of both names may be connected 
with the migration of the Philistines. In 1 Sam. xxx, 14 ; Ezek. xxv, 16 ; 
Zoph. ii, 5, the Cherethim are mentioned either as a Philistine tribe or as 
the Philistines themselves. Mr. Poole, making this body-guard cognate to 
the Philistines, concludes that the term Cherethites may as well signify 
"exiles" as "executioners;" and Pelethites might signify "fugitives" as 
appropriately as " couriers " or " runners." 

Pelu'sium. Ezek. xxx, 15, 16, margin. See Sin. 

Peni'el and Penu'el, (Map 3.) face of God, the place where Jacob wrestled 
in his mysterious conflict, Gen. xxxii, 24-32. It seems to have been on the 
north bank of the Jabbok, but some locate it on the south. The person 
with whom the patriarch wrestled declared himself to be God, hence 
Jacob called the name of the place Peni-el, " for I have seen God face to 
face." Possibly Penuel was the original, as it is the usual form of this 
name. The change of form has not been explained by etymologists. Mr. 
Grove thinks that possibly " the slight change to Peniel was made by Jacob 
or by the historian to suit his allusion to the circumstance under which the 
patriarch first saw it." Penuel is the form given in the Samaritan Penta- 
teuch. Probably this spot was marked at the time of this wonderful event 
simply by some rude stone to serve as a memorial. Five hundred years 
afterward Gideon, in pursuing the Midianites, finds a city and a tower occu- 
pying the site of Penuel, Judg. viii, 8. Returning from the conquest of the 
Midianites, Gideon "beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of 
the city," Judg. viii, 17. Possibly the city remained a ruin till the time of 
Jeroboam, who, after taking up his abode in Shechem, "went out from 
thence and built Penuel," 1 Kings xii, 25. This region of country has been 
explored but slightly, and the site of Penuel is yet unknown. 

Pe'or, the cleft, opening, a mountain in Moab, to the top of which Balak 
led Balaam that he might see the whole host of Israel and curse them, 
Num. xxiii, 28. The Israelites were then encamped on the east bank of the 
Jordan, near the north-east end of the Dead Sea. Peor is described as 
" looking to the face of Jeshimon," that is, the wilderness of Arabia. Doubt- 
less Peor was connected with the town of Beth-Peor, which is described as 
" over against " the site of the Israelitish camp, Deut. hi, 29; comp. xxxiv, G. 
See Beth-Peor and Pisgah. In Numbers xxv, 18, and xxxi, 16, the words 
'the matter of Peor," and " the iniquity of Peor," in Joshua xxii, 17, 
refer to the Midianitish idol Baal-Peor. Probably the temple of this deity 
stool on the top of the mountain, while the town Beth-Peor may have been 
situated on the slope at the base. A village bearing the Greek form of Peor, 
Fogor, is mentioned by Jerome as on the west of the Jordan near Beth- 
lehem. It is doubtless identical with Beit Fdghur or Kirbet Fdgh&r, five 
miles south-west of Bethlehem, barely a mile to the left of the road from 
Hebron. 



370 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Per'azim, Mount, mountain of breeches, a mountain mentioned by Isaiah in 
speaking to the Israelites of the Divine vengeance, Isa. xxviii, 21. The 
mount is nowhere else mentioned in Scripture, but it is doubtless identical 
with the Baal-Perazim of 2 Sam. v, 20 ; and it is probably to David's con- 
quest of the Philistines at Baal-Perazim that Isaiah alludes. Doubtless 
there was a "high place" of Baal on the top of the mount, and hence the 
name Baal-Perazim. See Baal-Perazim. 

Pere'a, (Map 5 f ) beyond, the region east of the Jordan ; specifically the ter- 
ritory of the trans-Jordanic tribes. Jesus occasionally went thither, Matt. 
xix, 1 ; Luke xv, 3. Perea is full of interest to the student. It was " the 
first land conquered, the first lost by the hosts of Israel." The American 
Palestine Exploration Society have undertaken a thorough scientific explora- 
tion of the whole region between Kerak and Damascus as far as the 37th 
meridian, embracing about 15,000 square miles. Pisgah has been fully iden- 
tified, and many hitherto unknown ruins in Moab have been marked. See 
Moab; Pisgah. 

Pe'rez-Uz'za, or Fe'rez-Uz'zah, the breach of Uzzah, called also Nachon, 
2 Sam. vi, 6; and Chidon, 1 Chron. xiii, 9. See Nachon. 

Perga, (Map 8,) a town of Pamphylia, in Asia Minor, on the river Oestrus, 
about sixty stadia from its mouth. It was originally the capital of the prov- 
ince ; but when Pamphylia was divided, Side became the chief town of the first, 
and Perga of the second Pamphylia. Perga was noted in antiquity for the 
worship of Artemis, (Diana,) whose temple stood on a hill outside the town. 
St. Paul landed at the city on his voyage from Paphos, and here Mark left 
them, Acts xiii, 13. Returning from the interior of Pampl^lia, Paul visited 
Perga again, and there preached the Gospel, Acts xiv, 25. The site of 
Perga is marked by extensive remains of vaulted and ruined buildings. The 
Turks call the place Eski-Kalesi. 

Per'gamos, and Per'gamum, (Map 8,) height, elevation, a noted city of 
the G-reat Mysia. It was situated about twenty miles from the sea, on the 
north bank of the river Caicus, in one of the most lovely and fertile valleys 
in the world. The name was originally given to a high and remarkable hill, 
which presented a conical appearance when viewed from the plain. The 
place rose to great importance under the successors of Alexander, and 
became the capital of a kingdom which the last sovereign, Attalus III., 
bequeathed (133 B. C.) to the Roman people. The city was noted for its 
vast library, containing 200,000 volumes. Antony removed this library to 
Egypt and presented it to Cleopatra. The art of preparing skins for manu- 
uscripts was brought to great perfection at Pergamos, hence the name of 
pergamena, or parchment. Under the Romans Pergamos was the capital of 
the kingdom which they erected into a province under the name of Asia 
Propria. Here were splendid temples of Zeus or Jupiter, of Athene or 
Minerva, of Apollo, of ^Esculapius and others, all situated in a grove of 
extreme beauty, called Nicephorium, which was considered the great glory 
of the city. In this magnificent city was one of " the seven churches in 
Asia," to which John addressed his Apocalypse, commending it for its 
fidelity and firmness in the midst of much persecution, and in a city so 
eminently addicted to idolatry, Rev. i, 11 ; ii, 12-17. In this passage Perga- 
mos is called " Satan's seat." Some think this phrase refers to the perse- 
cutions against the Christians, which of course were Satan's work. Others 
refer it to the Temple of JKsculapius, where this deity was worshiped under 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 373 

the form of a living serpent. In Rev. xii, 9, the same writer calls Satan 
"that old serpent." In Rev. xi, 13, a faithful martyr, Antipas, is mentioned 
as being slain in Pergamos, " where Satan dwelleth." 

The modern name of the city is Bergarna. It is a place of some import- 
ance, with a population variously estimated at from 14,000 to 30,000, of 
whom 3,000 are Greeks, 300 Armenians, and the rest Turks. Ruins of great 
extent remain, consisting of temples, bridges, theaters, and other structures. 
The modern houses are mostly small, mean wooden buildings. 

Per'izzites, The, (Map 3,) villagers, one of the original tribes inhabiting 
the Holy Land. The Greek forms Pheresites and Pherezites occur in 

1 Esdr. viii, 69; 2 Esdr. i, 21; Judith v, 16. They inhabited Canaan in the 
time of Abraham, Gen. xiii, 7 ; and of Jacob, xxxiv, 30. Their land was 
promised to Abraham's posterity, Gen. xv, 20 ; Exod. hi, 8 ; xxiii, 23 ; 
Josh, hi, 10 ; Neh. ix, 8. They are frequently mentioned in connection 
with the Canaanites, to whom they seem to have been second in importance. 
They are also grouped with the Hittites and Rephaim, Gen. xv. 20 ; Joshua 
locates them in the mountains with the Amorite, Hittite, and Jebusite, Josh, 
xi, 3. They were a warlike race, like the Rephaim, and had their strong- 
holds among the heights of Judah and Ephraim, xvii, 15. Israel was com- 
manded to destroy them, Deut. xx, 17 ; and they were defeated by Joshua, 
Josh, ix, 1, 2 ; xi, 3 ; xii, 8 ; xxiv ; xi; and by Simeon and Judah, in Bezek, 
Judg. i, 3, 4, etc. Bezek, although not identified, was probably within the 
allotted territory of Judah. The Perizzites were not exterminated, however, 
and they not only remained in Palestine, but even intermarried with the 
Israelites, Judg. iii, 5-7. Ezra charged this abomination upon the Israel- 
ites, Ezra ix, 1. They were made tributary to Solomon, 1 Kings ix, 20 ; 

2 Chron. viii, 7. 

The origin of the Perizzites is involved in obscurity. They are not named 
in the Canaanitish catalogue of tribes in Gen. x. Kalisch and other able 
biblical scholars incline to the belief that the names Canaanites and Periz- 
zites designate respectively the inhabitants of the walled towns, and of the 
open country or unwalled villages. In 1 Sam. vi, 18, and Deut. iii, 5, the 
expressions " country villages " and " unwalled towns " are understood by the 
Septuagint to refer to the abodes of the Perizzites, and are thus translated. 
Mr. Porter says on this point : " This view . . . appears to be plainly opposed 
to the biblical narrative. The Perizzites are there spoken of in the very 
same terms in which the other tribes are spoken of. Their habits are no- 
where specified, and the word Perizzite is manifestly as much a proper 
name as Hittite, Canaanite, or Hivite ; and we have reason to believe that 
from whatsoever quarter they came they were among the very earliest 
inhabitants of Palestine." See Kitto. 

Persep'olis, (Map 17,) a noted city of Persia, mentioned only in 2 Mace. 
ix, 2, where it is said that Antiochus Epiphanes, in attempting to burn its 
temples, provoked a resistance which forced him to an ignominious retreat. 
Persepolis was the capital of Persia proper, and the frequent residence of 
Persian monarchs from the time of Darius Hystaspis to the invasion of 
Alexander the Great. This conqueror wantonly burnt it. The buildings 
generally were built of cedar-wood, which caused the conflagration to be 
very rapid and general. The temples, which were of stone, probably 
escaped. The ruins now existing prove that it must either have been rebuilt, 
or not totally destroyed by Alexander. It is not identical with Pasargada, 



374: 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



the ancient capital, as many have supposed. The latter was at Murgaub, 
about forty-two miles due north of Persepolis, where the totnb of Cyrus may 
still be seen. Persepolis was situated near the plains of Merd'tisht, near the 
junction of two streams, where now exist extensive and splendid ruins called 
Chehl-Minar, " Forty Pillars." 

Per'sia, (Maps 1, 17,) (Heb., Pharas,) pure, splendid, horse, or horseman (1). 
Some conjecture the " Persians " to mean the Tigers. The etymology is very 
obscure, and these conjectures are wholly unsatisfactory. Persia was 
properly the designation of the province of Fars or Farsistan, a district 
bounded on the north by Media and Mount Aprassia, the Parachoathras of 
the ancients; on the south by Laristan and the Persian Gulf, on the west 
by Susiana, and on the east by Caramania. In Scripture, however, and in 
the classics, the name more frequently denotes the extensive empire of the 
Persians, which at one time stretched from India to Thrace and Egypt, and 
included parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In this sense it occurs, 2 Chron. 
xxxvi, 20,22; Ezraiv, 5, 7, 24; vi, 14; Esther i, 3, 14, 18; Dan. x, 13, 20; 
xi, 2. In the more limited sense it is found in Dan. viii, 20 ; aud perhaps 
also in Ezek. xxvii, 10 and xxxviii, 5, although the combination there of 
Persia with Lud and Libya seems to render it possible that the reference 
may be to an African settlement of Persians rather than to those who 
remained in their primitive seat. Sallust speaks of Persian immigrants into 
Egjrpt, and these Pliny identifies with the Pathrusi. The province of Persia 
proper is very mountainous ; there are few plains of any extent in it, but 
many of the valleys are picturesque and fertile. 

The Persians, who inhabited Persia proper, and thence conquered a 
mighty empire, were doubtless of the same race as the Medes, both being 
branches of the great Arian stock, which under various names established 
their sway over the whole tract between Mesopotamia and Burmah. Their 
name does not occur till the later periods of Bible history, the first reference 
occurring in 2 Chron. xxxvi, 20, 22. In remote antiquity the nation occu- 
pied other settlements to the east of the Caspian. It is said that a certain 
Achaemenes was their leader, about 700 B. C, into the country called a p ter 
them. From this leader the royal and noble AchaBmenian race derived its 
name. There is nothing, however, very certain before the reign of the great 
Cyrus. The Medes seem to have held the Persian princes in vassalage 
until the elder Cyrus, who (B. C. 558) introduced the Persian dynasty, which 
held rule over Media as well as Persia. In some of the passages above we 
have an account of Cyrus's permission to the captive Jews to return to Jeru- 
salem. Thus Isaiah's prophecy (Isa. xliv, 28 ; xlv, 1-7) was fulfilled, both 
in the return of these exiles and in the overthrow of the power that had 
enslaved them. But the Jews were hindered in the work of rebuilding 
their temple. Their foes hired counselors to oppose them "all the days of 
Cyrus," Ezra iv, 5. (Compare Dan. x, 13.) It was not till the end of one and 
twenty years that the temple was completed, Ezra vi, 14, 15. Cyrus died 
529 B. C. His tomb is still said to be seen at the ruins of Pasargada), the 
ancient capital. (See Persepolis.) The successor of Cyrus was his son 
Cambyses, (probably the Ahasuerus of Ezra iv, 6,) who invaded Egypt. 
Gomates, the Magian, who pretended to be Smerdis, son of Cyrus, then 
usurped the throne. He is the Artaxerxes who forbade the rebuilding of 
the temple, (7-23.) He was slain after a reign of seven months, and was 
succeeded by Darius Hvstaspes. The latter favored the Jews, and permitted 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 375 

them to complete their temple, Ezra iv, 2, 11 ; v; vi; Hag. i, 1 : Zech. i, 1. 
Darius built palaces at Persepolis and at Susa, (Shushan.) On the death of 
Darius, B. C. 185, Xerxes (probably the Ahasuerus of Esther and Mordecai) 
succeeded to ihe throne. Xerxes, after a reign of twenty years, was assas- 
sinated by Artabanus, who enjoyed his power for the short term of seven 
months. Artaxerxes (I.) Longimanus took the throne B. C 465, and bore 
rule for the long period of forty years. He is doubtless the king who stood 
in such friendly relations toward Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra vii, 11-28; 
Neh. ii, 1-9, etc. This is the last of the Persian kings who had any special 
connection with the Jews, and the last but one mentioned in Scripture. His 
successors were Xerxes II., Sogdianus, Darius Nothus, Artaxerxes Mnemon, 
Artaxerxes Ochus, and Darius Codomannus. The last named is probably 
the " Darius the Persian " of Nehemiah xii, 22. His empire was finally 
overthrown by Alexander the Great, B. C. 330, thus putting an end to the 
Persian monarchy after it had existed for over two hundred years. Then 
followed the Grecian empire. Persia is frequently referred to in the Apoc- 
rypha, 1 Esdr. iii, 1 ; Judith i, 7 ; Bel i, 1; 1 Mace, hi, 31. In later ages 
the name and power of Persia revived, and to the present day it has a name 
among the powerful nations of Asia. See Media. 

Persians, Esth. i, 19 ; Dan. v, 28. See Persia. 

Pe'thor, perhaps a table, or, possibly, soothsayer, a town mentioned by 
Moses as the native place of Balaam the prophet, and situated " upon the 
river," (the Euphrates,) Num. xxii, 5 ; and also as in " Aram-Naharaim," or 
Mesopotamia, Deut. xxiii, 4. Some think Pethor was probably in the neigh- 
Dorhood of Bashan ; but its site is wholly unknown. See Padan-Aram. 

Pe'tra. See Sela. 

Phar'atho'ni, one of the cities of Judea fortified by Bacchides during his 
contests with Jonathan Maccabeus, 1 Mace, ix, 50. It probably represents 
an ancient Pirathon, but hardly that of the Judges. 

Phar'par, (Map 5,) swift, lively, one of the two " rivers of Damascus " 
alluded to by Naaman, 2 Kings v, 12. The two chief streams in the district 
of Damascus are known as the Barada and the Awaj. The Barada is doubt- 
less identical with the Abana, which see; while the Awaj is unquestionably 
the same with the Pharpar. This identity of the Awaj and Pharpar was 
suggested by Munro in 1833, and confirmed by Dr. Robinson; but its 
sources, course, and the lake into which it falls, were first explored by Mr. 
Porter in 1852. The Awaj has two principal sources — one high up on the 
eastern side of Hermon, just beneath the central peak ; the other in a wild 
glen a few miles southward, near the romantic village of Beit Jann. The 
streams unite near Sasa, and the river flows eastward in a deep rocky chan- 
nel, and falls into a lake, or marsh, called Baliret Hijdneh, about four miles 
south of the lake into which the Barada falls. Although eight miles distant 
from the city, yet the Awaj flows across the whole plain of Damascus ; and 
large ancient canals drawn from it irrigate the fields and gardens almost up 
to the walls. Its total length is about forty miles ; its volume about one 
fourth that of the Barada. The latter is evidently much superior to the 
Awaj ; for, while the Barada is copious, and also perennial in the hottest 
seasons, the Awaj is described as a small "lively " stream, often dry in the 
lower part of its course. 

In a remote age the mountain range around the sources of the Pharpar 
was occupied by the warlike Maachathites, 1 Chron. xix, 6, 7 ; Josh, xii, 5. 



376 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Afterward it formed part of the tetrarcby of Abilene, Luke iii, 1. Farther 
down the river divided the territory of Damascus from Iturea. 

The district through which the Awaj flows is now called Wady el-Ajam, 
"the Valley of the Persians," extending from the walls of Damascus along 
the base of Anti-Libanus to the borders of Jedur beyond the Awaj. Its 
extreme length is thirty -two miles, its greatest breadth thirty, but near the 
lake into which it empties it is but four or five. Some parts of it are ex- 
tremely fertile, and it contains about fifty villages, with a population of 
eighteen thousand. See Porter's Damascus ; Patter's Palestine ; The Rob Roy 
on the Jordan. 

Phase'lis, a town in Asia Minor, on the borders of Lycia and Pamphylia. 
Jews were settled here, many having been brought thither as slaves. In 
1 Mace, xv, 23, the Romans are represented as demanding of this town that 
all Jewish exiles who may have taken refuge there should be given up to 
Simon the high priest. Phaselis was early a place of considerable import- 
ance ; but later it became a resort of pirates. It is now Tekrova, 

Pheni'ce. 

1. The accurate form of Phenicia, Acts xi, 19 ; xv, 3, etc. See Phenicia. 

2. (Map 8.) A town and harbor, more properly Phoenix, on the south- 
west coast of Crete. The name is doubtless derived from the Greek word 
for the palm-tree, which was said to be indigenous to the island. In his jour- 
ney to Rome, the ship having reached Fair Havens, on the coast of Crete, 
Paul admonished the officers, telling them that the voyage would be " with 
hurt and much damage;" and it was in making the attempt to reach Phoenix 
that they were caught by the gale and driven to Claudia, Acts xxvii, 8-16. 

Phoenix is identified with the harbor of Lutro, at the narrowest part of 
the island, and opposite the island of Clan da, where the inhabitants preserve 
the memory of the ancient name, Phceniki. A little way from the shore, on 
a hill, are found some ruins of the town. 

Fhenic'ia, and Phoenicia, (Maps 1, 5, 8.) The name is probably derived 
from the Greek phoenix, palm-tree, a tree found in great numbers in this 
country. Some, however, derive it from Phoinos, " purple ; " or from 
Phoenix, the son of Agenor, and brother of Cadmus, etc. The accurate 
form is Phenice, and thus it frequently occurs. Phenicia is the name applied 
to a small country on the coast of Syria, lying along the Mediterranean, with 
an average breadth of twenty miles, reaching from the river Eleutherus, near 
Aradus, on the north, one hundred and twenty miles, to the promontory 
of Carmel, or the town of Dor, on the south. But the limits of the country 
varied very greatly at different periods. Phenicia proper was very small in 
area, extending from the Promontorium Album, Ras el-Abyad, six miles south 
of Tyre, to the Bostrenus, Ndhr el-Auly, two miles north of Sidon, twenty- 
eight miles in length, with an average breadth of but one mile ; but near 
Sidon the mountains retreat to a distance of two miles, and near Tyre to five 
miles. The term Phenicia does not occur in the Old Testament, as might be 
expected from its being a Greek name. It occurs frequently in the Apoc- 
rypha. It is found in only three passages in the New Testament, Acts 
xi, 19 ; xv, 3; xxi, 2 ; but none of the passages give the extent of the land 
in question. "We derive its limits from Pliny, Strabo, Ptolemy, Josephus, 
etc. ; and these do not always agree on the boundaries. Phenicia was prob- 
ably peopled by the descendants of Ham ; for Sidon is said to have been the 
first-born of Canaan ; and the Arkite, and probably the Sinite, the Arvadite, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 377 

and the Zemarite, had their settlements in this region, Gen. x, 15, 17, 18. 
Opinions concerning this point are various. At the earliest dawn of authen- 
tic history these people are found already established along the Mediterra- 
nean, and for centuries afterward there is no record of their origin. Herodotus 
makes them, both on their own statements and by accounts preserved in 
Persian histories, immigrants from "the Erythrean Sea." This sea is taken 
by different investigators to stand either for the Arabian or the Persian Gulf 
Some have seen in them the Hyksos driven to Syria. Most theories are 
merely vague speculations. But it appears certain that at different periods, 
and from different parts, many immigrations of Semitic branches into Phe- 
nicia must have taken place, and that these gradually settled into the highly 
civilized nationality which we find constituted as early as the time of Abra- 
ham, Gen. xii, 6. The passage above quoted (Gen. x, 15-18) is probably 
the most valuable source of information which we possess. 

The Greeks professed to have borrowed letters from the Phenicians ; and 
it is unquestionable that the characters they used were of great antiquity, 
the origin perhaps of the old Hebrew. Inscriptions which have been dis- 
covered prove that the language of the Phenicians was nearly akin to 
Hebrew. 

The principal cities of Phenicia were the renowned cities of Sidon and 
Tyre, with Tripolis, Byblos, and Berytus. This country was admirably 
situated for commerce. Prom the countries on the Persian Gulf and the Red 
Sea, the coasts of Arabia, Africa, and India, the Phenicians brought spice, 
precious stones, myrrh, frankincense, gold, ivory, ebony, steel, and iron, and 
from Egypt embroidered linen and corn — giving in exchange not only their 
own raw produce and manufactures, but gums and resins for embalming, 
wine and spices. They traded with Syria and Mesopotamia, with Babylon, 
Aleppo, and Judea, with Armenia, with the Euxine coast and the coast of the 
Atlantic — with almost all nations, both by sea and by land. Their caravan 
traffic was great with Egypt and Arabia. Their extensive early commerce 
with Greece is frequently alluded to in Homer, and is further shown by 
the remarkable fact of the abundance of Semitic or Phenician words in 
Greek for such things as precious stones, fine garments, vessels, spices, and 
eastern plants in general, musical instruments, weights and measures. 
This people appear to have had an uncommon knowledge both of astronomy 
and physical geography ; they had also practical sense, boldness, shrewdness, 
vast energy, and a happy genius, all of which united made and kept them 
the unrivaled masters of ancient commerce and navigation. The prophet 
Ezekiel gives a most glowing account of Tyre, calling it " a merchant of the 
people for many isles," and naming some of the many countries or isles, Ezek. 
xxvii, 1-25. This chapter closes, and the following one opens, with the 
great and irrecoverable fall of Tyre. In Ezek. xxviii, 20-26, the prophet 
predicts the overthrow of Sidon. 

The religion of the Phenicians in its popular form was that natural but 
debased and foolish worship paid to the sun, moon, and planets, etc., by the 
appellations of Baal, Ashtoreth, Asherah, Beelzebub, Chiun, etc. Their 
worship was a constant temptation to polytheism and idolatry. The sun, 
moon, and five planets were worshiped under a pantheistical personification 
of the forces of nature, these objects not being regarded as lifeless globes of 
matter, obedient to physical laws, but as intelligent animated powers, 
influencing the human will, and controlling human destinies The influ- 



378 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

ence of the polytheistic religion of the Phenicians upon the Israelites was 
exceedingly demoralizing. Idol worship and its most cruel rites became 
common among the Jews. Jer. xix, 5 ; xxxii, 35. See Tyre; Sitx)N. 

Pher'esites, and Pher'ezites, the Greek form of Perizzites, 1 Esdr. 
viii, 69; 2 Esdr. i, 21; Judith v, 16. 

Philadel'phia, (Map 8,) love of a brother, or of brotherhood, a city ofLydia, 
situated about twenty-five miles south-east trom Sardis, in the plain of 
Hermus, about midway between the river of tnat name and the termination 
of Mount Tmolus. This city contained one of " the seven churches of Asia," 
to which John addressed his Apocalyptic epistles, Ilev. i, 11 ; iii, 7-13. Tho 
town was built by King Attalus Pliiladelphus, from whom it derived its 
name. In 133 B. C. it passed, with the dominion in which it lay, into the 
hands of the Romans. It continued a place of importance and strength 
down to the Byzantine age ; and it withstood the Turks for a longer period 
than any other town in Asia Minor, being taken at length by Bajazet I. in 
1392 A. D. See Rabbah. 

The above passage in Revelation is one of entire commendation to the 
church in Philadelphia, and the city still remains. Mr. Gibbon (Decline and 
Fall, chap, lxiv) says, " Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia 
Philadelphia is still erect; a column in a scene of ruins; a pleasing example 
that the paths of honor and safety may sometimes be the same." The 
modern name is Allah Shehr, " City of God," that is, High-town. It covers 
a considerable extent of territory, running up the slopes of four hills, or 
rather of one hill with four flat summits. The country around is exceedingly 
beautiful. The town, although spacious, is badly built, the dwellings are 
mean, and the streets filthy. The inhabitants are mostly Turks. A few 
ruins are found, including remains of a wall and about twenty-five churches. 
In one place are four strong marble pillars, which once supported the dome 
of a church. One of the old mosques is believed by the native Christians to 
have been the church in which assembled the primitive Christians addressed 
m the Apocalypse. See Trench's Seven Churches in Asia. 

Philip'pi, (Map 8,) lover of horses, warlike, a noted city of Macedonia, 
situated in a plain, on the banks of a deep and rapid stream called Gangistes, 
(now Angista.) The old name of the city was Krenides, and sometimes 
Datus. Philip, king of Macedon, having taken it from the Thracians, made it 
a frontier fortress and gave it his own name. Philip's city stood upon a 
hill, probably that seen a little to the south of the present ruins, which may 
have always formed the citadel. The famous battle of Philippi, between 
x\ntony and Octavius and Brutus and Cassius, was fought B. C. 42. Augus- 
tus made Philippi a Roman colony, in honor of his victory. St. Paul carao 
from Neapolisto Philippi, and there abode "certain days," Acts xvi, 12. In 
verse 13 the apostle speaks of a place " by a river-side, where prayer was 
wont to be made." Lydia, a trader from Thyatira, was the first convert 
made from the effort at the place of prayer, and she and her household 
were baptized, verses 14, 15. On their way "to prayer " the apostles were 
met by a damsel who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. For 
casting the " spirit of divination " out of the girl, Paul, with Silas, was 
ordered to be scourged and cast into prison. In this prison occurred one of the 
most cheering and remarkable scenes in the history of the apostolic Church. 
The jailer and his whole house were converted ; while the magistrates them- 
selves were compelled to make a public apology to tho apostles and set 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 879 

chem at liberty, Acts xvi, 16-40. Soon after Paul again visited Philippi, 
and probably he remained in the city and its vicinity a considerable time, 
Acts xx, 1-6. The Philippian Christians were exceedingly kind to Paul ; of 
all the Churches, they alone sent subsidies to relieve his temporal wants. 
During his imprisonment at Rome Paul remembered their kindness with 
much gratitude, and wrote them an epistle, PhiL iv, 10, 15, 18; 2 Cor. 
xi, 9 ; 1 Thess. ii, 2. 

Philippi is wholly in ruins, and without a name. Remains of walls are 
found, and " by the river " is the site of a gate through which, doubtless, 
the apostles passed to the place of prayer. There exist also foundations, 
tombs, broken columns, heaps of rubbish, the remains of theaters, palaces, 
and private houses. 

Philistia, (Maps 1, 5,) land of strangers or sojourners. The Hebrew word 
rendered Philistia in Psa. lx, 8; lxxxvii, 4; xcviii, 9, is identical with that 
elsewhere translated Palestine. The form Philistia does not occur in the 
Septuagint nor in the Vulgate. Palestine originally meant only the district 
inhabited by the " Philistines." In Psa. lxxxiii, 7, the word is rendered 
" Philistines." Josephus calls these people " Palestines." Philistia, or the 
" land of the Philistines," embraced the coast plain on the south-west of 
Palestine, extending from Joppa on the north to the Valley of Gerar on the 
south, a distance of about forty miles, and from the Mediterranean on the 
west to the foot of the Judean hills. Its breadth at the northern end was 
ten miles, and at the southern about twenty. It appears to have run as far 
inland as Beersheba, Gen. xxi, 33, 34; xxvi, 1, 14-18; Exod. xxiii, 31; Josh, 
xiii, 2, 3. A name very commonly given to it in the Bible is Shephelah, that 
is, a low, flat region, (Deut. i, 7 ; Josh, ix, 1 ; x, 40,) in the Hebrew. See 
Philistines; Palestine; Sephela. 

Philis'tim, Gen. x, 14, and 

Philistines, (Map 3, 4, 5,) strangers, sojourners; but some render it low- 
landers, and some white ones; while others connect the word with P&lasgi. 
The Philistines inhabited the district of Palestine or Philistia, (which see.) 
Their origin is involved in much obscurity. According to the genealogy in 
Gen. x, 13, 14, they were of the Mizraimite race, (Hamites,) from the Casluhim, 
probably increased from the Caphtorim. In Amos ix, 7, the prophet speaks 
of " the Philistines from Caphtor ; " and in Jer. xlvii, 4, they are called the 
u remnant of the country of Caphtor." The passage in Deut. ii, 23, speaks of 
the "Caphtorim who came forth from Caphtor" as the destroyers of the 
Avim, the people who held the south-western sea-coast before the Philis- 
tines supplanted them. A very earnest effort has been made by some mod- 
ern critics to show that the Philistines were descendants of Shera, and that 
they migrated from Crete either directly, or through Egypt into Palestine. 
This theory, besides being exposed to other formidable objections, is not 
consistent with Scripture. Overwhelming evidence traces the Philistines to 
Caphtor. Both the Casluhim and Caphtor must be looked for in Egypt. 
See Caphtor. The date of the first immigration of the Philistines into 
Palestine, or that part of it held before them by the Avim, is uncertain. 
It must, however, have taken place after that of the Canaanites, whose pos- 
sessions at one time extended to Gerar and Gaza, Gen. x, 19. Abraham 
found the Philistines in the " south country." They were not then a power- 
ful tribe, and evidently were of pastoral habits, Gen. xx. Their chief, 
Abimelech, seems to have regarded the patriarch with his numerous tribe 

18 



380 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

of dependents as quite equal in power with himself, being glad to make a 
treaty with Abraham at Beersheba, Gen. xxi, 22, 23. The treaty was 
renewed with Isaac, Abimelech giving as a reason for pressing his departure 
from Gerar, "Thou art much mightier than we," Gen. xxvi, 12-23. The 
Philistines rapidly increased in numbers and in power. In the time of 
Joshua they were in possession of the fertile plain, the Shephelah, lying along 
the coast between the Mediterranean and the hill-country of Judah and 
Dan. Perhaps the tribe had naturally increased into a nation, or they may 
have been re-inforced by fresh settlers from Egypt. Some have thought that 
Jeremiah (xlvii, 4) and Amos (ix, 7) allude to such an immigration. The sub- 
sequent history of the Philistines shows that they were no longer a pastoral 
people merely, but well skilled in handicrafts, engaged in commercial pur- 
suits, and especially powerful in war, able to contend even with the Sidoni- 
ans and Egyptians, 1 Sam. vi, 4; xiii, 20; xvii, 5-7; Judg. xvi, 26-29; Joel 
iii, 3-6; Amos i, 6. The Pelethites, who, with the Cherethites, composed 
King David's body-guard, are supposed to have been Philistines. See 
Pelethites. 

The land of the Philistines lay within the limits of the Promised Land, 
Num. xxxiv, 5, 6 ; Ezek. xiii, 17 ; xxiii, 31. It was assigned to Judah and 
Dan, Josh, xv, 45-47 ; xix, 41-45 ; but Joshua never in reality seems to 
have gone to war with them, and five lords of the Philistines remained in 
live chief towns, to be a scourge to Israel through almost the whole course 
of their existence, Josh, xiii, 3 ; Judg. iii, 3. Not long after Joshua's death 
we find this people holding the Israelites in bondage, until Shamgar, the son 
of Anath, " slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad, and he 
also delivered Israel," Judg. iii, 31; x, 7, 11. But Israel's deliverance was 
of short duration. Under Jephthah, and still more under Samson, the 
Philistines continued to molest the Israelites, and, in conjunction with the 
Ammonites, they kept the Israelites in subjection for forty years. The won- 
derful exploits of Samson against the Philistines, and bis successes, are 
recorded in Judges xiii-xvi. In the battle of Aphek the Philistines carried 
away the ark of God, and slew thirty thousand Israelites, 1 Sam. iv, 1-11. 
Samuel first put an end to this period of national humiliation. In the battle 
of Mizpeh the Philistines not only lost their sway over Israel, but had to 
yield to them their own territories of Ekron and Gath, 1 Sara, vii, 11, 12, 14. 
This seems, however, to have been only a partial victory, and of short dura- 
tion. Saul had to contend with them during his whole reign. The valiant 
support of Jonathan and David gained for him the battles of Michmash, 
where the Philistines were routed and pursued to Ajalon, and of Socho, 
(where Goliath was slain by David,) which ended in the flight of the Philis- 
tines and their pursuit to the gates of Gath and Ekron with a loss, according 
to Josephus, of thirty thousand killed and twice that number wounded, 
1 Sam. ix, xii-xiv, xvii, xviii. Subsequently they suffered other defeats, 
chiefly at the hand of David, until the latter was himself obliged to seek 
refuge with Achish, King of Gath, 1 Sam. xix, 8; xxiii, 1-5, 27 ; xxvii, 1-7; 
xxix ; Psa. lvi, title. For the defeat of the Philistines by the Amalekites, 
see 1 Sam. xxx; 1 Chron. xii, 19. At Gilboa the Israelites suffered from 
the Philistines one of their heaviest reverses, in which both Saul and his 
sons were slain, 1 Sam. xxxi; 1 Chron. x, 1. After Ish-Bosheth's death, 
when all Israel and Judah had submitted to David, the Philistines, who 
hitherto had left him undisturbed, renewed their hostilities, but were re- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 381 

peatcdly beaten — at Baal-Perazira with the loss of their gods, and at Reph- 
aim with immense slaughter. David still had to march against them fre- 
quently, flis arms were always victorious, and he was able to leave to his 
son. Solomon their territory as a conquered domain, 1 Kings iv, 21 ; 2 Chron. 
ix, 26; 2 Sam. v, 17-25; viii, 1, etc. Under Solomon, while retaining some 
of their petty chiefs, they were tributary, 1 Kings ii, 39, 40; iv, 21, 24. 
Gezer, at the extremity of the Philistine plain, was given to Solomon by 
Pharoah, and he deemed it prudent to fortify it and some other border- 
towns, 2 Kings ix, 15-17. When the kingdom was divided we find both 
states from time to time involved in hostilities with the Philistines, 2 Kings 
x. 27; xvi, 15; 2 Chron. xxi, 16, 17; and although Jehoshaphat and Uzziah 
obtained advantages over them, it was not till the reign of Hezekiah that 
they were entirely subdued, 1 Chron. xvii, 11; xxvi, 6; 2 Kings xviii, 8. 
About the same time Sargon, King of Assyria, took Ashdod, the frontier 
fortress, after a three years' siege, Isa. xx, 1. Gaza was taken by Pharaoh. 
Jer. xlvii, 1 ; and under the invasion of Sennacherib the greater part, if not 
all of the strongholds fell under Assyrian sway, Isa. xxxvi. At the Baby- 
lonish captivity the old hatred against Israel broke out, Ezek. xxv, 15- 17 ; 
but on the return alliances were made by the Jews with Philistine women, 
Neh. xiii, 23, 24. The sacred writer calls these "wives of Ashdod," as 
though the name of Philistine were forgotten or lost, and the corrupt Hebrew 
spoken by their offspring was Ashdodite, and not Philistine. Alexander the 
Great traversed their country and took Gaza, and Philistia was involved in 
the fortunes of the Syrian, Egyptian, Maccabean, and subsequent Jewish 
wars. Finally it fell under the power of the Romans. Pompey incor- 
porated some of its cities with Roman Syria ; farther portions fell to Herod 
and Salome's share. See 2 Esd. i, 21; 1 Mace, iii, 24, 41, etc. 

The chief gods worshiped by the Philistines were Dagon, Judg. xvi, 23 ; 

1 Sam. v, 1-7; 1 Chron. x, 10; Ashtaroth, 1 Sam. xxxi, 10; Baal-Zebub, 

2 Kings i, 2, 3, 6, 16; and Decerto, the female counterpart to Dagon, not 
mentioned in Scripture. They had priests and diviners, and in their cam- 
paigns they carried their images with them, 1 Sam. vi, 2; 2 Sam. v, 21. 
Their government was a kind of federal union. The five principal cities had 
districts with towns and villages dependent on them, Josh, xv, 45-47 ; 
1 Chron. xviii, 1, but in war they acted in concert. Those called "lords" 
had much influence in the affairs of state, controlling the " King" of Gath, 
1 Sam. xxix, 3-9. The Philistines are said to have been tall and well-pro- 
portioned, with regular features, and a complexion lighter than that of the 
Egyptians. They shaved the beard and whiskers entirely. Their weapons 
of war consisted of circular shields, javelins, spears, poniards, and long 
swords. From 1 Sam. xiii, 5, we learn the vast number of chariots which 
they were able to bring into battle. 

For the present condition of the land of the Philistines see Asiidod, Aske- 
lox, Ekrox, Gath, Gaza, Gerar, Gibbethon, Metheg-Amma, Jabnfel. 

Phi'son, the Greek form of Pison, Ecclesiasticus xxiv, 25. 

Phoenicia. See Phenicia. 

Phryg'ia, (Map 8,) dry, barren, a province of Asia Minor, bounded by 
Bithynia and Galatia on the north ; on the east by Cappadocia and Lycaonia ; 
on the south by Lycia, Pisidia, and Isauria : on the west by Caria, Lydia, 
and M) r sia. Perhaps, however, it may be said that no geographical term of 
the New Testament is less capable of an exact detinition. In early times 



382 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Phrygia seems to have comprehended the greater part of Asia Minor. Sub- 
sequently it was divided into Phrygia Major on the south, and Phrygia Minor, 
or Epictetus, {acquired,) on the north-west. The Romans divided the province 
into three districts : Phrygia Salutaris on the east, Phrygia Pacatiana on the 
west, and Phrygia Katakekaumene {the burnt) in the middle, where there are 
traces of volcanic action. The country was well watered and fertile, and 
its pastures fed celebrated breeds of cattle and sheep. Jews were found 
here from the time of the Syrian dominion, Acts ii, 10. In apostolic times 
Phrygia was not a regularly defined Roman province. By the term, as 
vaguely used in the New Testament, we are rather to understand a region, 
portions of which, varying at different periods, were comprehended under 
different Roman provinces. The cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosste 
belonged to Phrygia, and Antioch in Pisidia was also within its limits. Paul, 
in his missionary journeys, twice traversed the province, Acts xvi, 6 ; 
xviii, 23. 

Phud, Judith ii, 23, another form of Phut. 

Phut, (Maps 8, 12,) afflicted, or, a bow (?), Gen. x, 6; more accurately, Put, 
1 Citron, i, 8. Phut was a son of Ham, and progenitor of an African people 
of the same name, though sometimes the name is rendered Libya, or Libyans, 
Jer. xlvi, 9; Ezek. xxvii, 10; xxx, 5; xxxviii, 5; Nah. hi, 9. Mr. R. S. 
Poole (in Smith's Dictionary) inclines to identify Phut with Nubia or the 
Nubians ; which identification, he thinks, " would account for the position 
of Phut after Mizraim in the list in Genesis, notwithstanding the order of 
the other names." But, according to Josephus, {Antiq., Lib. I, 6, 32,) Phut 
was the colonizer of Libya ; and he confirms his belief by stating that there 
was a river of that name in the country of the Moors, whence the whole 
adjoining region was termed Phut by Greek historians. In Coptic, more- 
over, Libya is called Faiat, and the inhabitants of that part which adjoins 
Egypt bear a corresponding name. The term Libya is given to the country 
from one of the sons of Mizraim, Libys, the progenitor of the Lehabim, 
which see. As indicated above, some Scripture passages render Phut in the 
A. V. as Libyans, and Libya ; so in the Vulgate and Septuagint, Libyes. 
The identification of Phut with Libya is indorsed by very eminent writers, 
among whom are Bochart, Rosenmiiller, Gesenius, Michaelis, Keil, Kalisch, 
and Delitzsch. This identification is, however, very vague in reference to 
the extent of Libya. See Lubim. As above, in Nah. ill, 9, Phut and Lubim 
[Lehabim] are associated; probably they were inhabitants together of the 
same district. Probably the Lehabim touched on the border of Upper 
Egypt, while Phut was contiguous to Lower Egypt, and extended westward 
along the north coast of Africa, and into the very interior of the continent. 
The designation of Phut seems to have been generic ; of Lehabim, etc., spe- 
cific, and in territory limited. Hitzig supposes that Phut was west of Libya, 
on the north coast of Africa. Kalisch, on the supposition that the identifi- 
cation dwelt upon above might be untenable, suggests that Phut might have 
been Buto, the capital of the Delta, on the south shore of the Butic lake. 
But these conjectures seem to have little to support them. See Kalisch' s 
Commentary on Old Test, Gen. ; and Kitto's Cyclopedia, art. Ham. 

Pi-be'seth, or Pib'eseth, (Map 2,) the [city] of Bubastis, or Pascht. The 
name is derived from the goddess Bubastis, (Copt. Pascht, the goddess of 
fire,) whom the inhabitants of this city worshiped, and to whose temple 
here great numbers of people made yearly a festive pilgrimage. This was a 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 383 

city of Lower Egypt, whose destruction, together with the captivity of its 
people, was predicted by Ezekiel, Ezek. xxx, 17. Bubastis was situated 
about forty miles north-east from the central part of Memphis. In Egyptian 
annals few notices of the place are found. It was doubtless a city of great 
importance when Ezekiel predicted its ruin. Herodotus has described it 
with unusual minuteness ; and Wilkinson (in Modern Egypt) assures us that 
the outlines of his account may still be verified. The Persians took it, and 
destroyed its walls ; but under the Romans the city was still a place of some 
importance. It was near this city that the canal leading to Arsinoe (Suez) 
opened to the Nile. This ancient city is undoubtedly represented by the 
modern Tel-Bustak, in the eastern part of Lower Egypt. Here are found 
mounds of great extent, which consist of the crude brick houses of the town, 
with the usual heaps of broken pottery. Herodotus mentions the temple of 
the goddess Bubastis as well worthy of description, being more beautiful 
than any other known to him. This is entirely destroyed ; but the remain- 
ing stones, which are of the finest red granite, confirm the historian's account. 

Pi-Hahi'roth, (Map 2,) mouth of caverns ; or, more probably, the grassy 
places, a place near the northern end of the Gulf of Suez, east of Baal-Zephon, 
where the Israelites encamped on their departure from Egypt when Pha- 
raoh's host overtook them, Exod. xiv, 2, 9; Num. xxxiii, 7, 8. In the vicin- 
ity indicated travelers have found the name Ghuioeybet-el-boos, " the bed of 
reeds." Yet, as doubtless the head of the gulf ran anciently farther to the 
north than now, no identification can be accurately made. 

Fir'athon, perhaps chief, a place in Ephraim. Abdon was buried there, 
Judg. xii, 13, 15. One of David's mighty men was a Pirathonite, 1 Chron. 
xxvii, 14; xi, 31 ; 2 Sam. xxiii, 30. Dr. Robinson and others identify it with 
the little village of Fer'ala, lying about six miles west-south-west of Ndbl&s, 
(Shechem,) on the summit of a tell among low hills. 

Pir'athonite. See Pirathon. 

Pis'gah, (Map 5,) piece, section, or the height, a high ridge on the east of 
Jordan, opposite Jericho, remarkable as having been the scene of Moses' 
view of Palestine. Pisgah was a part of the range of mountains called 
Abarim. It was in the territory afterward assigned to Reuben, and thus 
was north of the Anion, Num. xxi, 20; Dent, iii, 27; iv, 49; xxxiv, 1. 
Pisgah had places on its top with a flat surface, and even culiivated land. 
Balak brought Baalam "into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah," and 
there he "built seven altars," Num. xxiii, 14. The American Palestine 
Exploration Society, under Lieut. Stever, have made a thorough survey of 
this whole region. Assuming that the peak of Nebo is correctly located, 
(see Nebo,) Professor Paine, accompanying the explorers, claims lo have iden- 
tified Pisgah beyond dispute. It is a summit or "shoulder" a little to the 
westward of Nebo; and while it is not so lofty as the latter peak, yet the 
spot commands a much more magnificent sweep of vision than is gaiued from 
any other point in the vicinity. See Abarim ; Perea; Zophiji. 

Pisid'ia, (Map 8,) a pitch-tree, pitchy, a province of Asia Minor, with varia- 
ble boundaries. It lay north of Pamphylia, and stretched along the Taurus 
range. On the north it reached to, and was partly in, Phrygia, which was 
also variable in territory, but far more extensive. "Antioch in Pisidia" was 
sometimes called a Phrygian town. St. Paul twice visited this region. In 
company with Barnabas he entered it from Pamphylia on the south, and 
crossed over the mountains to Antioch. Acts xiii, 14. Although their mission 



384 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

was successful, " and the word of the Lord was published throughout all 
that region," yet Paul and Barnabas were " expelled out of their coasts," 
verses 49, 50. After a perilous journey through Lycaonia and Isauria they 
again returned through Pisidia to Pamphylia, apparently by the same route, 
Acts xiv, 21-24. Pisidia and its inhabitants were alike wild and rugged; 
and probably it was among the defiles of Pisidia that Paul encountered some 
of those " perils of robbers " and " perils of rivers " of which he afterward 
speaks in 2 Cor. xi, 26. Perhaps fear of Pisidian bandits would account for 
John's sudden departure from the apostle, Acts xiii, 13, 14. 

The scenery of Pisidia is wild and grand. Many of the ravines are singu- 
larly grand — bare cliffs rising up more than a thousand feet on each side of 
the bed of a foaming torrent. The Pisidian tribes maintained their independ- 
ence against their more powerful neighbors, against the Grecians, and even 
the Romans. The latter took possession of Antioch, establishing a colony 
there, and other towns in the plain country ; but they were content to re- 
ceive a scanty tribute from the tribes generally, and to allow them to remain 
in undisturbed possession of their mountain fastnesses. 

Pi'son, overflowing, one of the four "heads" into which the stream that 
watered Eden was parted, Gen. ii, 11. The Pison cannot be identified, 
although conjectures concerning its location are almost numberless. The 
most ancient and most universally received opinion identifies it with the 
Ganges. Among the many other streams proposed by various writers may 
be mentioned the Nile, the Indus, the Hydaspes, the Danube, the Nahar- 
malca, (a canal which formerly joined the Euphrates with the Tigris,) the 
Phasis, etc. In the passage in Genesis the river Pison is defined as that 
which surrounds the whole land of Havilah. See Havilah. 

Pi'thom, (Map 2,) the narrow placed) or, perhaps, the abode of Atum, one of 
the treasure cities built by the Israelites in the land of Goshen for Pharaoh, 
Exod. i, 11. Some consider it identical with the Patumos of Herodotus, 
which appears to have been situated on the east side of the Pelusiac arm 
of the Nile, not far from the canal which unites the Nile with the Red Sea 
in the Arabian part of Egypt. Pithom, therefore, may perhaps be placed 
on the site of the present Abhaseh, at the entrance of the Wady ei-Tumeylat. 

Pon'tus, (Map 8,) the sea, the north-eastern province of Asia Minor, bor- 
dering on the Euxine Sea, (Pontus Euxinus,) from winch it took its name 
Under the Roman Emperors the name comprised the whole district along 
the southern bay of the Euxine, from the river Halys to Colchis and Arme- 
nia, separated on the south from Cappadocia by lofty mountains. After 
the defeat of Mithridates, King of Pontus, 66 B. C, a division of it was made, 
a portion being added to the Roman province of Bithynia, the rest being 
parceled out among petty provinces. Under Nero, Pontus became a Roman 
province under one administration with Cappadocia. From Acts ii. 9, wc 
learn that Jews had established themselves in Pontus. Here lived Aquila, 
Acts xviii, 2. The apostle Peter addresses his Epistle to "the strangers 
scattered throughout Pontus," and other regions, 1 Pet. i, 1. The princi- 
pal towns of Pontus were Amasia — the ancient metropolis, and the birth- 
place of the geographer Strabo — Themiscyra, Cerasus, and Trapezus, which 
last, under the name of Trebizond, is still an important town. 

Pools. See Bethesda ; Siloam ; Solomon's Pools ; Jerusalem. 

Pot'ter's Field, The, Matt, xxvii, 7. See Aceldama. 

Preto'rium, the head-quarters of the Roman Governor at Jerusalem, 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 385 

Mark xv, 16. The same Greek word is rendered "common hall," (margin, 
"governor's house,") Matt, xxvii, 27 ; " hall of judgment," or "judgment hall," 
John xviii, 28, 33 ; xix, 9 ; Acts xxiii, 35 ; and in Phil, i, 13, " palace," (margin, 
4 * Cassar's court.") The passage in Acts refers to Herod's palace at Cassarea. 
The Roman military commanders usually appropriated to themselves the 
palaces that they found in provincial cities ; thus in Jerusalem Herod's pal- 
ace was the pretorium of the Procurator, justice being sometimes adminis- 
tered in the open court before it; so also in Caesarea. Possibly at Jerusa- 
lem while a body-guard might remain with the Governor at the "palace," 
the rest of his troops may have been quartered in the Castle of Antonia, 
which see. 

Ptolema'is, (Map 5,) the city called Accho in the earliest Jewish annals, 
and Ptolemais under Macedonian and Roman power. It is often mentioned 
in the Apocrypha, 1 Mace, v, 15, 22, 55; 2 Mace, xiii, 24, 25, etc. Paul on 
returning from his third missionary tour visited Ptolemais and " saluted the 
brethren, and abode with them one day," Acts xxi, 7. The place is now 
called Akka, or St. Jean $ Acre. See Accho. 

Pul, a region mentioned only once, Isa. lxvi, 19. Much difficulty exists 
both in defining and locating Pul. The name is the same as that of Pul, 
king of Assyria, which signifies elephant, or lord, king. Pul is spoken of 
with Tarshish and Lud, Tubal, Javan, and "the isles afar off." Bochart, 
Henderson, Michaelis, and others, suppose it to be the island of Philas, and 
the surrounding regions on the Nile to the south of Elephantine. Porter, 
Grove, Poole, and other good authorities, make it some distant province of 
Africa, Phihe being a very small island. Mr. Poole says, " The balance of 
evidence is almost decisive in favor of the African Phut or Put." See Phut. 

Pu'non, (Map 2,) darkness, one of the stations of the Israelites, Num. 
xxxiii, 42, 43. It lay between Zalmonah and Oboth. According to Jerome 
it is identical with Phenon, celebrated for its copper mines in which convicts 
were sentenced to labor, between Petra and Zoar. Possibly it was here 
that Moses set up the brazen (copper) serpent, Num. xxi, 9, 10. This 
identification would agree with the requirements of the wanderings ; but 
modern explorers have found no trace of the name. 

Put, 1 Chron. i, 8 ; Nah. iii, 9 ; elsewhere Phut, Phud, Libya, which see. 

Pute'oli, (Map 8,) sulpliurous wells, or springs, a seaport of Campania in 
Italy, in the most sheltered part of the Bay of Naples. Its ancient Greek 
name was Dicacarchia. It was a favorite watering-place of the Romans, its 
hot-springs being considered efficacious for the cure of various diseases. 
Here also ships usually discharged their passengers and cargoes, partly to 
avoid doubling the promontory of Circeium, and partly because there was no 
commodious harbor nearer to Rome. Hence the ship in which Paul was 
conveyed from Melita landed the prisoners at this place, where the apostle 
stayed a week, Actsxxviii, 13, 14. Puteoli is connected with many histor- 
ical personages. Scipio sailed hence to Spain. Cicero had a villa near the 
city. Here Nero planned the murder of his mother. Vespasian gave to 
this city peculiar privileges, and here Hadrian was buried. It was ravaged 
by Alaric and Genseric in the fifth century. Puteoli is now an ordinary 
town called Pozzuoli. There are considerable remains, consisting of the 
aqueduct, the reservoirs, portions of baths, (probably,) the great amphithea- 
ter, the building called the Temple of Serapis, and particularly the ruins of 
the celebrated ancient mole, sixteen piers of which are still to be seen. 



386 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Quaranta'nia, forty days. A mountain very near Jericho on the west, 
with which tradition connects the fasting and the temptation of Christ, and 
from whose top Satan showed the Saviour " all the kingdoms of the world, 
and the glory of them." The mountain received this traditional name 
about the time of the Crusades in commemoration of the forty days' fast. 
The Arabs have adopted the name under the form of Jebel Kuruntul. Quar- 
antania rises precipitously, an almost perpendicular wall of rock, twelve or 
fifteen hundred feet above the plain, crowned with the ruins of a chapel on 
its highest point. The eastern front is full of grots and caverns, where 
hermits are said to have once dwelt in great numbers. 

Raamah, (Map 12,) a trembling, the fourth son of Cush, and the father 
of Sheba and Dedan, Gen. x, 7 ; 1 Chron. i, 9. Sheba and Dedan became 
nations of greater importance and notoriety than Raamah, but the latter is 
mentioned among the distinguished merchants that traded with Tyre, Ezek. 
xxvii, 22. There can be no doubt that the original settlements of the de- 
scendants of Raamah were upon the south-western shore of the Persian Gulf. 
The town of Regma, situated on the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf, on 
the northern side of the long promontory which separates it from the ocean, 
is possibly the original seat of the tribe. According to Forster {Geography 
of Arabia) the nation migrated from Regma along the eastern shores of 
Arabia to the mountains of Yemen, where he finds them in conjunction with 
the family of Sheba. 

Raam'ses, Exod. i, 11. See Rameses. 

Rab bah, (Maps 5, 20,) a great city, or metropolis. 

1. The capital of the Ammonites, Josh, xiii, 25. The full name is Rabbath- 
beni- Amnion, Deut. iii, 11. In Ezek. xxi, 20, it is termed Rabbath of the 
Ammonites. By the Greek and Roman writers it is often mentioned as Phil- 
adelphia. Here was the bed or sarcophagus of the giant Og, Deut. iii, 1 1. 
The city was besieged and taken by David for the ill treatment of his embas- 
sadors by the Ammonites, Joab having previously, after a long siege, 
stormed one of the divisions of it, probably the lower town, in which was 
the spring whence a stream of water, yet existing, flowed, 2 Sam. xi, 1 ; 
xii, 26-29; xvii, 27; 1 Chron. xx, 1-3. Afterward the Ammonites regained 
their independence, Jer. xlix, 2, 3; Ezek. xxi, 20; xxv, 5; Amos i, 14. 
Some centuries later, when these parts were subject to Egypt, Rabbah was 
restored or rebuilt by Ptolemy Philadelphus, who called it Philadelphia; 
but the old name was not entirely superseded . It was one of the cities of 
the Decapolis, and as far down as the fourth century was considered a very 
strong and remarkable city. In the early centuries of our era it was the 
seat of a bishopric, and remained a prosperous city until the conquest of 
Syria by the Saracens. The modern name is Amman. Its ruins lie about 
twenty-two miles east of the Jordan, and about fourteen north-east of Hesh- 
bon. " The aspect of the whole place is desolate in the extreme. . . . The 
abundant waters attract the vast flocks that roam over the neighboring 
plains, and the deserted palaces and temples afford shelter to them during 
the noon-day heat, so that most of the buildings have something of the 
aspect and stench of an ill-kept farm-yard." — Porter. There are remains of 
palaces, temples, churches, theaters, tombs, etc. The theater is one of the 
most striking ruins in all Syria, and must have been capable of accommodat- 
ing more than six thousand spectators. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 387 

2. A town in the hill-country of Judah, named with Kirjath-Jearim, Josh, 
xv, 60. It is unknown. 
Rab'bath-Ammon. See Rabbah. 
Rab'bath-Moab. See Ar. 

Rab'bith, multitude, a town in Issachar, probably on the boundary, Josh. 
xix, 20. It is unknown. 

Ra'chal, traffic, a town in Judah, mentioned only in 1 Sam. xxx, 29, as 
one of those to which David sent portions of the spoil captured in his raid 
against the Amalekites. No traces of the name have been found. 

Ra'chel's Tomb (Map 6) is about a mile distant from Bethlehem, Gen. 
xxxv, 16-20. " The building is modern, but the authenticity of the sepulcher 
cannot be questioned. It is one of the few shrines which Moslems, Jews, 
and Christians agree in honoring, and concerning which their traditions are 
identical." — Porter's Hand-book. 

Ra'gau, a place and its mountains, Judith i, 3, 15 ; probably identical with 
Rages. 

Rages, a noted city and province in north-eastern Media, deriving its 
name, according to Strabo, from chasms made by earthquakes. The city 
was not far from the site of the modern Teheran. It is connected with the 
later history of the Jews, as one of the places in which they were located 
during the captivity, and is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, Tob. i, 14; 
v, 5 ; vi, 9, 12 ; Judith i, 5, 15. Rages is mentioned by very many profane 
writers. The ruins bear the name of Rhey, and consist of walls of prodigious 
thickness, which seem to have been flanked by strong towers, and are con- 
nected with a lofty citadel at their north-eastern angle. Colossal sculptures 
are also found on the rocks. Teheran has been to a great extent built from 
the ruins of Rages. 

Ra'hab, sea-monster, pride, insolence, violence, a term used as a symbolical 
name for Egypt, Psa. lxxiv, 13, 14: lxxxvii, 4; lxxxix, 10; Isa. li, 9, 10; 
compare 15; and sometimes for its king, Ezek. xxix, 3; xxxii, 2; compare 
Psa. lxviii, 31. Under this metaphorical designation allusion is probably 
made to the crocodiles and other aquatic creatures of the Nile. The passage 
in Isa. xxx, 7, probably referring to this name, is thus translated by Gese- 
nius: "Egypt helpeth in vain; therefore I call her: violence, that is, the 
violent, (Rahab in the original,) they sit still ; " that is, they are cowards, 
and their help will not avail. 

Rak'kath, shore, one of the fortified towns of Naphtali, grouped between 
Hammath and Chinnereth, Josh, xix, 35. The Rabbius state that it stood 
where Tiberias was afterward built. According to Josephus ancient tombs 
had to be removed to make room for Tiberias. Mr. Porter (in Kitto) says : 
" Rakkath may have stood close on the shore (of the Sea of Galilee) where 
there were no tombs ; while Tiberias, being much larger, extended some dis- 
tance up the adjoining rocky hill-sides, in which the tombs may still be seen." 

Rak'kon, thinness, a city of Dan, apparently not far from Joppa, Josh, 
xix, 46. Unknown. 

Ra'ma, the Greek form of Ramah, used in Matt, ii, 18, in reference to 
Jer. xxxi, 15. The latter passage alludes to the massacre of Benjamites or 
Ephraimites, at the Ramah in Benjamin or in Mount Ephraim, (compare 
verses 9, 18.) The mourning over that slaughter may be considered as 
typical of the massacre of the innocents at Bethlehem, near to which was 
the tomb of Rachel ; and the spirit of tho departed Rachel is represented 



388 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

by the evangelist as rising from her tomb and mourning her murdered chil- 
dren. Some of the infants of Benjamin were also slain, for Herod's wrath in- 
cluded both Bethlehem and "all the coasts thereof." So loud was the 
"lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning," that it resounded through- 
out the whole land of Benjamin, and hence "in Rama." See Ramaii (1.) 

Ra'mah, (Map 5.) a high place, a height. Many of the ancient towns of 
Palestine were built on the top of a hill. Thus several places are called 
Gibeah, which means a hill. Not less than five prominent towns also bear 
the name of Ramah, and the term enters into composition with the name of 
Diany other places situated on an eminence. 

1. A city in Benjamin, grouped between Gibeon and Beeroth, Josh, 
xvii", 25. In the list of 1 Esdr. v, it is called Cirama. In the sad story of 
the Levite recorded in Judges xix, its position is clearly marked as near to 
Gibeah; compare verse 13 with Map 6; see also 1 Sam. xxii, 6; Hos. v, 8; 
Isa. x, 28-32. It occupied a very strong position, commanding the great 
road from the north to Jerusalem, and was fortified by Baasha, king of Israel. 
Alarmed at the erection of a fortress so close to his capital, the king of 
Judah stopped the work by bribing the Syrians to invade northern Pales- 
tine, and then carried off the building materials, 1 Kings xv, 17-22 ; 2 Chron. 
xvi, 1-6. When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judea he made his headquarters 
at Riblah, (Jer. xxxix, 5.) and sent thence his generals to capture Jerusalem. 
While the conquerors devastated the temple and the city the chief inhabit- 
ants who had escaped the sword were placed under guard at Ramah, the 
prophet Jeremiah being one of the captives, Jer. xxxix, 8-12 ; xl, 1. Here 
was fulfilled the prophecy uttered many years before: " A voice was heard 
in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping," Jer. xxxi, 15. [See Rama; 
compare Matt, ii, 17, 18.] The lamentation was made not only over those 
just slain in Jerusalem, but doubtless, also, over the slaughter at Ramah of 
such captives as from age or sickness were not worth transporting across 
the desert to Babylon. After the captivity Ramah was again occupied, 
Ezra ii, 26; Neh. vii, 30. The Ramah of Neh. xi, 33, occupying a different 
position in the list, is supposed by Mr. Grove to refer to a distinct place lying 
further west, nearer the plain. But this is conjecture. 

Ramah has been identified with the village of Er-Ram, a small and mis- 
erable place about five miles north of Jerusalem. Broken columns and other 
ancient remains lie around the fields, while in the foundations and walls of 
the houses are many large hewn stones. 

2. A city on the border of Asher, apparently near the sea-coast, and not 
far from Tyre, Josh, xix, 29. Dr. Robinson identifies this Ramah with a 
modern village called Eameh, about seventeen miles south-east of Tyre, con- 
taining some ancient remains. Kiepert's map thus locates it. Tan de Velde'o 
map locates it at the site of another Bameh, on a little tell about two miLs 
south-east of modern Tyre. This latter identification seems to agree best 
with the Scripture requirements. 

3. One of the nineteen fortified places of Naphtali, grouped between 
Adamah and Hazor, Josh, xix, 36. This city is probably identical with the 
large modern village of Rameh, lying about six miles west by south of Safed, 
on the road leading to Akka. The village stands on the lower slope of a 
mountain whose summit commands one of the most extensive views in all 
Palestine. 

4.. 1 Sam. i, 19; etc. See Ramathaem-Zophim. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 380 

6. 2 Kings viii, 29 ; 2 Chron. xxii, 6. See Ramoth-Gilead. 

Ra math-Le hi, the hill or height of Lehi, that is, as in the margin of oui 
version, the lifting up of the jaw-bone, or casting away of the jaw-bone, Judg. 
xv, 17. See Lehi. 

Ra'math-Miz'peh, the high place of the watch-tower, a town in Gad, men- 
tioned only in Josh, xiii, 26, apparently as a landmark on the northern 
border. The place where Jacob and Laban vowed to each other was marked 
by a heap of stones, and received the names of Galeed, Jegar-Sahadutha, and 
Mizpah, and it was somewhere in this region, Gen. xxxi, 25, 48, 49. Prob- 
ably all these names are identical with Ramoth-Gilead, but certainty cannot 
be reached until further explorations east of the Jordan are made. The term 
Maspha in 1 Mace, v, 35, possibly refers to this place. 

Ra'math-Ne'geb, or Ramath of the South, height of the south, a place 
apparently in the extreme southern border of Simeon, Josh, xix, 8; and 
doubtless only another name for Baalath-Beer, which see. The "south 
Ramoth " of 1 Sam. xxx, 27, is doubtless the same place. 

Ramatha im-Zc'phim, (Map 20,) the double height of Zophim, 1 Sam. i, 1. 
The same as Ramah, _(4.) the shortened form, in which the name occurs al- 
ways, except as above. Ramathaim seems to be the dual of Ramah, and 
Zophim is added by way of distinction. Zophim is explained by some as 
"of the prophets," or "of the watchers-; " referring in part to the school 
of the prophets at Naioth in Ramah. It is also thought to have reference 
to the land of Zuph, 1 Sam. ix, 5 ; and Ramah, being the chief town of that 
district, was thus " Ramah of the Zuphites." This seems a natural explana- 
tion, but it is not established. See Zuph. 

" The position of Ramathaim-Zophim is one of the puzzles of biblical geog- 
raphy." Stanley says, "It is, without exception, the most complicated and 
disputed problem of sacred topography." All that we know with certainty 
concerning the place is that it was the residence of Elkanah, and the birth- 
place, residence, and burial-place of the prophet Samuel, 1 Sam. i, 1, 19; 
ii, 11; vii, 17; viii, 4; xv, 34; xvi, 13; xix, 18; xxv, 1; xxviii, 3. In 1 Sam. 
i, 1, 19, it appears that Ramah was " of Mount Ephraim," but the extent of 
this region is nowhere denned. Possibly, also, it was Elkanah that was " of 
Mount Ephraim," and he may have migrated thence. Ramah has been 
located at Soba, about six miles west of Jerusalem ; at Rameh, (Ramah,) 
north of Hebron; at er Ram, on the road from Jerusalem to Bethel; at 
Ramleh, (near Lydda,) which is erroneously considered identical with Ari- 
mathaea; at Jebel Fureidts, the Prank Mountain, three miles south-east of 
Bethlehem; at Ramah, a hill a short distance above Bethlehem; at Rame, a 
village three and a half miles west of Sanur ; at Ram-Allah, a small village 
one mile west of Beroth, (Map 6 ;) and at Ntby Samwil, the traditional site 
of Samuel's tomb, about five miles west of north from Jerusalem — nine sites 
La all. Each has its learned advocates, but there are no conclusive arguments 
in behalf of any. Several of them are quite improbable. In 1 Sam. ix, x, 
we have an account of Saul's visit to Samuel, the anointing of Saul as king, 
and his return " home to Gibeah." How to reconcile these three Scripture 
incidents with any of the above sites is the difficulty, and the contradictory 
assumptions of various commentators only serve to make the difficulty 
greater. The identity of Ramah with Soba, one of the most plausible sites, 
is thus disposed of by Mr. Porter: "A man hastening home from Soba to 
Tuleil elrFul, the ancient Gibeah, would not, if in his senses, go round by 



390 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Rachel's sepulcher at Bethlehem, yet Saul must have done so if Soba be 
Ramah." — Hand-book, p. 269. Mr. Grove inclines to locate Rarnah on the 
peak of Neby Samwil, but he claims that Saul's anointing was not necessarily 
at Ramathaini-Zophim. See Smith's Dictionary. This lofty peak, " the cul- 
minating point of the mountain region round the Holy City," is crowned by 
a neglected mosque, with a little hamlet of about twelve houses on the 
eastern side. The height of the peak and the Mohammedan tradition are in 
its favor, but its identity with Ramah can be established neither by the 
Scripture narrative nor otherwise. It is not improbable that it may be 
identical with Mizpeh, where Saul was made king, 1 Sam. ii, 17-21. See 
Mizpeh, (6.) 

Rame'ses, or Ram'eses, (Maps 2, 8,) son of the sun; in Exod. i, 11, 
Raamses ; in Judith i, 9, Ramesse. This name was borne by several of the 
kings of Egypt, by one of whom probably the city of Rameses was founded. 
Rameses was situated in Lower Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and was built, 
or at least fortified, by the labor of the Israelites, Gen. xlvii, 11 ; Exod. i, 11. 
In Gen. xlvii, 11, the first occurrence of the name, the term is applied to a 
province, " the land of Ramesse," by which is doubtless meant a part of Go- 
shen, or, more probably, the whole of it, comp. verse 6. It was from this prov- 
ince that the Israelites commenced their march out of Egypt, though they 
were probably massed about the chief town, Exod. xii, 37 ; Num. xxxiii, 3, 5. 
The name of Pithom, employed in the same connection with Rameses, in- 
dicates the region near Heliopolis. Lepsius thinks Rameses is to be sought 
in the ruins of Aboo-Kesheyd, north-east of Heliopolis, where there is a group 
of three figures cut out of a granite block representing the gods Turn and 
Ra, and between them Rameses II., who was probably there worshiped, and 
who is thought to be the Pharaoh of Moses. See Stanley's Jewish Church, 
first series, p. 100. Other sites have been proposed, but none is wholly 
satisfactory. 

Ramesse, Judith i, 9. See Rameses. 

Ra'moth, 1 Sam. xxx, 27. See Ramath-Negeb. 

Ra'moth, 1 Chron. vi, 73. See Remeth. 

Ra' moth-Gil' ead, and Ra'moth in Gil'ead, (Maps 4, 5, 20,) heights of 
Gilead, called also Ramah, 2 Kings viii, 29; 2 Chron. xxii, 6. One of the 
chief cities of Gad, east of the Jordan, allotted to the Levites, and made a 
city of refuge, Deut. iv, 43 ; Josh, xx, 8 ; probably it was identical with 
Ramath-Mizpeh, Josh, xiii, 26. Ramoth was the scene of many sieges and 
battles in the struggles between the Israelites and the Syrians. It was the 
seat of one of Solomon's commissariat officers, 1 Kings iv, 13. Being after- 
ward taken by the Syrians, the kings of Israel and Judah united to drive 
out this common enemy, and it was in this unsuccessful attempt to recover 
the city that King Ahab was mortally wounded, 1 Kings xxii, 3, 34; 
2 Chron. xviii. King Joram was wounded in a battle here, 2 Kings viii, 
28, 29; ix, 14, 45; 2 Chron. xxii, 5, 6, and Ramoth was taken from tha 
Syrians. While Joram went to Jezreel to be healed, leaving Jehu in com- 
mand of his army, Jehu was anointed king at Ramoth by order of Elisha, 
and drove from Ramoth to Jezreel, being commissioned to execute venge- 
ance on the wicked house of Ahab, 2 Kings ix. The city appears no more 
in Jewish history after this event. Among the various opinions concerning 
the site of Ramoth, the most probable is that which locates it at Es-Sa,it, a 
little village of about three thousand inhabitants. There are but few ancient 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 391 

remains in the town itself, but in the cliffs and ravines beneath it are great 
numbers of tombs and grottoes. On the summit of the hill is a rectangular 
castle, with towers at the corners. ■ About two miles north-west of Es-Salt 
is the highest peak of the mountain range still bearing the name Jebel JiVad, 
"Mount Gilead." Mr. Grove says: "If Ramoth-Gilead and Ramath-Mizpeh 
are identical, a more northern position than Es-Salt would seem inevitable, 
since Ramath-Mizpeh was in the northern portion of the tribe of Gad, Josh, 
riii, 26." 

Ra'phon, a city of Gilead where Judas Maccabeus obtained a victory over 
Timotheus, 1 Mace, v, 37. Possibly it is identical with the Rephana men- 
tioned by Pliny as one of the cities of the Decapolis. It appears (verse 4) 
to have been near to Carnaim, (probably Ashtaroth-Carnaim,) and also near a 
torrent. 

Ras'ses, Children of, a people whose country Holofernes ravaged, Judith 
ii, 23. The Vulgate reads Tharsis, by which some infer that Tarsus is meant. 
The old Latin has Thirds et Rasis; the Syriac, TJiiras and Ra'msis. These 
people are named next to Lud, (Lydia,) and apparently south thereof. 
Some construe Rasses as Rosos, and, connecting this term with Meshech 
and Thiras or Tiras in Gen. x, 2, suppose Rosos to signify Russia, (Map 12 
Rosh.) 

Re'ai'ah, whom Jehovah cares for, a family of Nethinim who returned 
from Babylon with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii, 4.7 ; Neh. vii, 30. In 1 Esdr. v, 31, 
the name is Airus. 

Re'chabites, riders, horsemen, the family of Kenites, whom Jonadab, the 
son of Rechab, subjected to a new rule of life : or, rather, bound to the con- 
tinued observance of ancient usages which were essential to their separate 
existence, but which the progress of their intercourse with towns seemed 
likely soon to extinguish, 1 Chron. ii, 55; 2 Kings x, 15, 16, 23. For three 
hundred years this tribe fully obeyed the injunction to drink no wine, to 
build no houses, but to dwell in tents. At the Chaldean invasion they were 
forced to quit the open country and live in Jerusalem, Jer. xxxv. Doubtless 
they afterward withdrew to the desert. As a reward for faithful obedience 
to their vows a promise was made them that their family should never be 
extinct, Jer. xxxv, 19. Travelers report the present existence of an Arabian 
tribe who claim descent from Rechab, and profess a modified Judaism ; but 
this report needs fuller confirmation. 

Re'chah, the side, utmost part. In 1 Chron. iv, 12, are mentioned the 
" men of Rechah." The Targum of Rabbi Joseph calls them " the men of the 
great Sanhedrim." Rechah would seem to be a place, but nothing is known 
of it. 

Red Sea. See Sea. 

Re'hob, street, broad place. 

1. A city on the northern border of Palestine, first mentioned in connection 
with die mission of the spies as the extreme northern point of their journey, 
Num. xiii, 21. It was called also Beth-Rehob, 2 Sam. x, 6, 8. Dr. Robinson 
would identify Rehob with the village and castle of Hunin, in the mountains 
north-west of the plain of Huleh, the upper district of the Jordan valley. 
This lacks confirmation. About twenty-five miles north-east of Damascus 
is a place called Ruhaibeh, which some propose as the site. 

2. A town allotted to Asher, Josh, xix, 28, apparently near to Zidon, but 
uo traces of it have yet been found. 



392 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

3. Another city of Asher, on the southern border of the tribe, Josh, 
xix, 30. It was probably this Rehob which was allotted to the Levites, 
Josh, xxi, 31 ; 1 Chron. vi, 75; but from which the old Canaanites were not 
driven, Judg. i, 31. Its site is also unknown. 

Rehoboth, roomy places, streets. 

1. "The city Rehoboth,'' or Rehoboih-Ir, one of the four cities founded by 
Asshur, or by Nimrod in Asshur, Gen. x, 11, 12. The translation of the 
passage is difficult. As Nineveh and Calah stood on the Tigris, it seems 
natural to place the other two cities, Resen and Rehoboth, in the same vicin- 
ity. No ruins have been found on the plain of the Tigris that seem to mark 
the site of this city, nor any traces of its name. Kalisch and others seek to 
identify it with Rahabeh- Malik, a place said to contain extensive ruins, lying 
on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, about four miles south-west of the 
town of Mayadin. (See No. 2 below.) Sir H. Rawlinson suggests Selemiyah, 
near Kalah, with extensive ruins. Possibly Rehoboth may have been a 
part of that "great city," Nineveh. See Resen: Nineveh. 

2. " Rehoboth by the river," the city of a certain Saul or Shaul, one of the 
early kings of the Edomites, Gen. xxxvi, 37 ; 1 Chron. i, 48. "The river " 
is doubtless the Euphrates; (compare Gen. xxxi, 21; xv, 18; Deut. i, 7; 
Exod. xxiii, 31.) This city probably lay on the west bank of the Euphrates, 
between Circesium and Anah, at the site now called er-Kahabeh. Bahabeh- 
Malik, on the east bank, is also proposed as the site. (See No. 1 above.) 
Certainty cannot be attained without further explorations. 

3. (Map 5,) Rehoboth, the third of the series of wells dug by Isaac, Gen. 
xx vi, 22. The most probable site is at the Wady Ruhaibeh, containing the 
ruins of a large town of the same name. Dr. Stewart and Mr. Rowlands 
both claim to have here found a well, which Dr. Robinson could not rind. 
The place is about twenty-three miles south-west of Beersheba. Dr. Rob- 
inson thinks the spot too far south, and Mr. Grove seems to agree with him; 
while Mr. Porter says, "It seems in the highest degree probable that this is 
the place where the patriarch had his station." Palmer inclines to this view. 

Re'kem, variegattd, perhaps a flower-garden, a town of Benjamin, Josh, 
xviii, 27. Mr. Grove asks, "May there not be a trace of the name in Ain 
Karlm, the well-known spring west of Jerusalem ? " 

Re'meth, a height, a city of Issachar, grouped with En-Gannim, Josh, 
xix, 21. It is thought by some identical with the Ramoth of 1 Chron. vi, 73. 
No place has yet been discovered which can be plausibly identified with 
either. Mr. Porter inclines to identify Remeth with Wezdr, a little village 
on one of the rocky summits of Mount Gilboa, about five miles north of 
En-Gannim. 
Rem'mon, Josh, xix, 7. See Rimmon, (1.) 
Rem'mon-Meth'oar, Josh, xix, 13. See Rimmon, (2.) 
Reph aim and Reph'aims, probably giants, healers, chiefs. An ancient 
tribe noted for their gigantic stature, dwelling, in the Lime of Abraham, be« 
yond the Jordan, Gen. xiv, 5, 15, 20. One of the last remnants of this race 
was Og, King of Bashan, although in after ages there lived men of huge 
stature who were doubtless of the same stock. See Rephaim, Valley op. 
Reph'aim, the Valley of, (Map G.) In Josh, xv, 8, and xvin, 16, "the 
valley of the giants." For the probable signification see Rephaim. This 
valley seems to have derived its name from the ancient nation of the Reph- 
aim, a race of gigantic stature, who, dwelling in Palestine in the earliest 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 393 

ages, left their traces in the names, history, and traditions of various sections 
of the country both east and west of the Jordan. They had settlements in 
Bashan at a very remote period, and that country was called " the laud of 
the Rephaim " at and even after the conquest, Gen. xiv, 5 ; Deut. iii, 11-13; 
Josh, xiii, 12 The Ammonites' country was also called "the land of the 
Rephaim," ii, 11, 20. The same name was given also to a section of western 
Palestine adjoining the mountains of Ephraim, Josh, xvii, 15. The valley, 
which much longer bore the name of this tribe, lay between Jerusalem and 
Bethlehem. Possibly these "giants" settled here after being driven from 
their seats east of the Jordan, and before they found their more secure home 
among the wooded districts of the north. David twice defeated the Phil- 
istines in this valley, 2 Sam. v, 17-25; xxiii, 13; 1 Chron. xi, 15, 16; 
xiv, 9-16. The place was noted for fertility, Isa. xvii, 5. 

According to the Memoir of the Rephaim by Miss Corbaux, their chief 
metropolis was Salem, afterward Jerusalem ; and this lady would identify 
them with the shepherd race of kings who held dominion at one time in 
Egypt. From Josh, xv, 8, and xviii, 16, it would seem that this valley lay 
on the south of the hill which inclosed the Valley of Hinnom on the west. 
Mr. Porter, who has surveyed the region in question with great care, says : 
" On the west side of the Valley of Hinnom rises a bare rocky ridge, beyond 
which commences an upland plain, considerably lower than the ridge, but 
almost on a level with the city. It extends southward toward Bethlehem 
more than a mile. Declining gradually on the south-west, it contracts at 
length into a narrow and deep valley called Wady el- Werd. The plain is 
flat and fertile, but is shut in on all sides by rocky hill-tops and ridges. This 
appears to be the Valley of Rephaim ; and its position certainly agrees well 
with all the notices in the Bible and in Josephus." See Perazim, Mount. 

Reph'idim, (Map 2,) stays, refreshments, rests, a noted encampment of the Is- 
raelites, near to Horeb, and the place where the people complained most bitterly 
to Moses for bringing them out of Egypt, Exod. xvii, 1, 8 ; xix, 2 ; Num. 
xxxiii, 14, 15. Here occurred the miracle which gave the wondrous supply 
of water ; and here too the triumph, by a miracle, of Israel over the Amalek- 
ites. Here, also, Moses learned from Jethro how to marshal the whole host 
of Israel. 

Geographers find much difficulty in locating Rephidim. Dean Stanley 
says : " We know not the spot with certainty. Yet of all localities hitherto 
imagined, that which was believed to be so in the fifth century at least 
answers the requirements well — the beautiful palm-grove now and for 
many ages past called the Valley of Paran or Feirdn." E. H. Palmer, 
Lepsius, Ritter, and Stewart hold this opinion. Feirdn is near the base of 
Mount Serial. Stanley thinks that, wherever Rephidim may be, it was 
evidently a place of sufficient importance to induce the Amalekites to defend 
it to the uttermost. Perhaps Amalek contended for the water with which 
Israel was supplied. Dr. Robinson places Rephidim at a narrow gorge in 
the Wady esh-Sheikh, not far from Horeb; and thinks Horeb was the name 
not of a single mountain but of the whole group. Mr. Porter, assuming 
Jebel-Musa to be Sinai, (or Horeb,) says: "Perhaps the solitary sanctuary 
of Sheikh Salth, one of the most sacred spots in the whole peninsula, and 
which gives its name to the great valley, may mark the position of Rcplu- 
dirn. The valley is here of considerable width, and it opens out still more 
to7.rard Sinai, affording space for the conflict of armies." The smitten rock 



3D4: BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

was at a considerable distance from the camp; and the miracle was per- 
formed, not in the sight of all the people, but before chosen elders who went 
to the place with Moses. 

Claiming Feiran as the site of Rephidim, Palmer says : " It is in fact the 
most fertile part of the Peninsula, and one which the Amalekites would be 
naturally anxious to defend against an invading force; in this respect it 
answers to the position of Rephidim." Palmer discovered a rock, hitherto 
unnoticed by travelers, called Hesy el Khattdtin, which may have been the 
rock smitten by Moses. In the valley also is a hill called Jebel Tdhuneh, 
(the Mountain of the Windmill,) about seven hundred feet his:!), and afford- 
ing a commanding view. Here possibly Moses stood when he viewed the 
battle of Israel with Amalek. It is situated on the northern side of the 
valley. At short intervals along the ascent are several chapels, and on the 
summit is a small church with some ruined out-buildings. See Desert of 
the Exodus, pp. 158-163, 276. 

Re'sen, (Map 1,) a bridle, an ancient town of Assyria lying between 
Nineveh and Calah, and called " a great city," Gen. x, 12. Larissa, mentioned 
by Xenophon as a desolate city on the Tigris, several miles north of the 
Lyeus, has been proposed as the site of Resen ; but this identification cannot 
be established. " As, however," says Mr. G. Rawlinson, " the Nimrud ruins 
[see Nineveh] seem really to represent Calah, while those opposite Mosul 
are the remains of Nineveh, we must look for Resen in the tract lying between 
these two sites. Assyrian remains of some considerable extent are found 
in this situation, near the modern village of Selamiyeh, and it is perhaps the 
most probable conjecture that these represent the Resen of Genesis." Mr. Fer- 
gusson believes that Calah is to be identified with Kalah Sherghat, and Resen 
with Nimrud. Certainty of identification seems impossible. See Calah. 

Reuben, (Map 5,) behold a son, one of the tribes of the Israelites, named 
from the eldest son of Jacob by Leah, Gen. xxix, 32; xxxv, 23; xlvi, 8. 
Although Reuben was Jacob's first-born, yet the tribe was the least distin- 
guished of the twelve in nearly every respect. This was the result 
of the unnatural crime of the head of the tribe, which left its stain on the 
whole race, Gen. xlix, 4 ; 1 Chron. v, 1. The census at Sinai shows that 
at the exodus the number of Reubenites was 46,500, Num. i, 20, 21. Their 
encampment was to the south of the tabernacle. On the march they were 
to head the second division of the host, Simeon and Gad being joined with 
them, Num. ii, 10-16; x, 18. On the borders of Canaan, after the plague 
which punished the idolatry of Baal Peor, the number was 43,730, Num. 
xvi; xxvi, 5-11. Near the close of the wandering, after the kingdoms of 
Og and of Sihon had been conquered, the tribes of Reuben and Gad requested 
that they might settle east of the Jordan, Num. xxxii, 5. Their cattle had 
accompanied them in the flight from Egypt, Exod. xii, 38 ; and there are 
frequent allusions to these on the journey, Exod. xxxiv, 3 ; Num. xi, 22 ; 
Deut. viii, 13, etc. The other tribes having relinquished a taste for the 
possession of cattle, and Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh being now the 
owners of the cattle, (Num. xxxii, 1,) Moses gave them the rich, well-watered 
territory east of the Jordan as an ample pasture land, Num. xxxii, 33. 
But Moses located them there only in consideration of their undertaking to 
aid in the conquest of the western country — Canaan proper. 

The country allotted to the Reubenites extended on the south to the river 
Arnon, which divided it from the Moabites, Josh, xiii, 8, 16. On the oast 



■ 



- A 




BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 397 

it touched the desert of Arabia. On the west were the Dead Sea and the 
Jordan. The northern border was probably marked by a line running east- 
ward from the Jordan through Wady Hesban, Josh, xiii, 17-21; Num. 
xxxii, 3*7, 38. The Moabites had originally conquered and occupied this 
country; but they were driven out a short time before the exodus by Sihon, 
King of the Amorites, who was in his turn expelled by the Israelites, Deut. 
Li; Num. xxi, 22-31. Generally speaking, the towns of Reuben are noted 
in Num. xxxii, 37, 38; Josh, xiii, 17; four of them being assigned to the 
Merarite Levites, Josh, xxi, 36, 37; 1 Chron. vi, 78, 79; and one, Bezer, 
was a refuge city, Deut. iv, 43 ; Josh, xx, 8. Moses invoked a prophetic 
blessing upon Reuben, expressing a hope of life and population for the tribe, 
Deut. xxxiii, 6. 

The Reubenites aided their brethren west of the Jordan in the conquest 
of Canaan, Josh, iv, 12, 13. Returning home after the conquest, and 
fearing that the deep valley of the Jordan, which formed an almost impassa- 
ble barrier between eastern and western Palestine, might prove to be a 
barrier between the brotherhood of the ten tribes and themselves, the 
Reubenites and their eastern brethren raised up at the ford of the river a 
vast altar-shaped mound, to serve in all generations as a witness of common 
origin and of common rights, Josh, xxii, 1 0-34. Afterward, for not aiding 
the western tribes against Sisera, the Reubenites were reproved, Judg. 
v, 15, 16. In the days of Saul, in conjunction with their neighbors, this 
tribe made some successful forays on the Hagarites, and extended their pas 
tures even to the Euphrates, 1 Chron v, 1-10, 18-22. "An hundred and 
twenty thousand men of war " from Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh marched 
with their brethren to Hebron, to put David upon the throne, 1 Chron. 
xii, 37, 38. David placed a separate ruler over the Reubenites, while 
Solomon included them with Gad in one of his commissariat departments, 

1 Chron. xxviii, 16; 1 Kings iv, 19. On the division of the kingdom they 
attached themselves to the northern state. Their territory was invaded 
by the Syrians under Hazael, about B. C. 884, 2 Kings x, 32, 33 ; and about 
a century later the whole people were taken captive by Tiglath-Pileser, 
and carried off to Halah, Habar, and Hara, in Assyria, 1 Chron. v, 6.26; 

2 Kings xv, 29. Then the Moabites returned to their old country, and occu- 
pied their old cities. Tims Jeremiah in pronouncing curses upon Monb 
embraces many of the cities of Reuben. Tin's whole region is now desolate, 
there being no settled inhabitants in all its borders; while its great cities, 
though mostly bearing their ancient names, are heaps of ruins. 

Reubenites. See Reubex. 

Re'zeph, (Map 4,) a stone, (heated to roast meat or bake bread upon.) A 
city whose name occurs among those subdued by the Assyrians, 2 Kings 
xix, 12 ; Isa. xxxvii, 12. There were nine cities by this name. The most 
probable supposition locates the ancient Rezeph at Rasapha, a day's march 
west of the Euphrates on the road from Racca to Emesa, (Hums.) 

Rhe'gium, (Map 8,) a breach, broken off, a city on the south-western coast 
of Italy, mentioned in Paul's journey to Rome, Acts xxvii, 13. It now has 
ten thousand inhabitants, and bears the name of Rc.ggio. 

Rhodes, (Map 8,) a rose, an island in the Mediterranean, near the coast 
of Asia Minor. It is celebrated from the remotest, antiquity as the seat of 
commerce, navigation, literature, and the arts. The city of Rhodes was 
built in the llfth century before Christ. Over the entrance to the harbor 

19 



398 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

was the celebrated Colossus, a brass statue of Apollo one hundred and five 
feet high, erected B. C. 290, and overthrown by an earthquake B. C. 224. 
For a long period the Meets of the Rhodians ruled the seas. In the times 
of the Maccabees we find Jewish residents in Rhodes, 1 Mace, v, 23. At 
length, during the reign of Vespasian, the island became a Roman province. 
St. Paul touched at Rhodes about A. D. 58, on his return voyage from his 
third missionary journey, Acts xxi, 1. During the Middle Ages Rhodes was 
famous as the home and fortress of the Knights of St. John. The most 
prominent remains of the city and harbor are memorials of those knights. 
The present population of the island is about twenty thousand. 

Rib'lah, (Maps 3, 4,) fertility, a very ancient city in the northern part of 
Canaan, in the territory of Hamath, Num. xxxiv, 10, 11 ; 2 Kings xxiii, 33; 
xxv, 21; Jer. lii, 9. In Ezek. vi, 14, Diblath. At Riblah the Babylonian 
monarchs were accustomed to wait while directing their military operations 
in Palestine and Phenicia. It was here that the Egyptian king, Pharaoh- 
Necho, put the youthful Jehoahaz in chains, and made Eliakim king, 2 Kings 
xxiii, 29-35. Here Nebuchadnezzar encamped while his general invaded 
Judah and captured Jerusalem. To this city Zedekiah was brought captive, 
and, after being compelled to witness the murder of his sons, his eyes were 
put out, and he was bound in fetters of brass, 2 Kings xxv, 6, 7 ; Jer. 
xxxix, 5-7. 

Mr. Grove claims that the Riblah, the border city of Canaan, mentioned 
in Num. xxxiv, 11, is not the same with the Riblah in the land of Hamath, 
which is mentioned much later in Bible history. He thinks the former may 
have been near the Sea of Chinnereth, in the neighborhood of Banias. To 
this Mr. Porter objects: "There is nothing whatever in Num. xxxiv, 11, to 
indicate that Riblah was near the Sea of Chinnereth." The reader is re- 
ferred to Smith's Dictionary and Kitto's Cyclopaedia for the discussion by 
these eminent scholars. To us the weight of argument is with Mr. Porter, 
who holds there was but one Riblah. 

Traces of Riblah are found in the "land of Hamath," in the little village 
of Eiblah, lying on the right bank of the Orontes, about twelve miles east 
by north of its great fountain, which still bears the name el-Ain. The only 
remains of antiquity are the ruins of a square tower, called by the people 
el-Kiniseh, " the church." 

Rimmon, (Map 5,) a pomegranate. 

1. A city in the extreme south of Palestine, originally allotted to Judah, 
and afterward to Simeon, Josh, xv, 21, 32 ; xix, 7, (where the name is Rem- 
mon;) 1 Chron. iv, 32; Neh. xi, 29. See also Zech. xiv, 10. It is highly 
probable that this place is identical with Er-Rummanim, (" mother of pome- 
granates,") a ruined village about thirteen miles south of Eleutheropolis. 
About a mile south of it are two tells, both of which are covered with 
ruins. 

2. (Hebrew, Rvmmono.) A city of Zebulun, assigned to the Merarito 
Levites, 1 Chron. vi, 77. In our translation of Josh, xix, 13, it is called 
Remmon-Methoar; but "methoar " is no part of the name : the words of the 
clause should be rendered, " it (the border) passed on to Rimmon, and 
stretched to Neah." It is probably identical with the little village of Rum- 
mdneh, situated about six miles north of Nazareth, on the edge of the upland 
plain of Buttauf. 

3. " The Rock Rimmon," (Map 6.) A rock or peak north-east oi' Geba 




THE COLOSSUS AT RHODES. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 401 

and Michmash, near the desert, to which the remnant of the Benjamitee re- 
treated after the destruction of their tribe, Judg. xx, 45, 47; xxi, 13. 

This place is doubtless identical with the modern village of fiummon, 
which stands upon a conspicuous white limestone tell about ten miles north 
of Jerusalem, and nearly four east of Bethel. Along the sides of the tell are 
found some large caverns. 

Rim'mon-Pa'rez, (Map 2,) pomegranate of the breach, a station of tho 
Israelites in the wilderness. Num. xxxiii, 19, 20. Unknown. 

Ri'phath, (Map 12,) a crusher (?), a northern people descended from Gomer, 
Gen. x, 3. In 1 Chron. i, 6, margin, it is Diphath, by a transcriber's error. 
It seems impossible to locate this people with certainty. The weight of 
opinion appears to compare the name with the Rhipanan mountains, in the 
remotest northern regions. Some good authorities, however, identify this 
nation with the Rhiphatltozans, the ancient name of the Paphlagonians. See 
Kitto, art. Nations, Dispersion of. 

Ris'sah, (Map 2,) a ruin, a station in the wilderness, Num. xxxiii, 21, 22. 
Possibly identical with Rasa. 

Rith'mah, (Map 2,) broom, a station of the Israelites, Num. xxxiii, 18, 19. 
Unknown. 

Riv'er of Egypt, (Maps 1, 2.) This compound term occurs eight times 
in the Old Testament. In Gen. xv, 18, the word translated "river" is 
na/iar, which always signifies a perennial stream. In all the other pas- 
sages nakhal is employed. Nakhal is translated "river" in Num. xxxiv, 5; 
Josh, xv, 4, 47 ; 1 Kings viii, 65 ; 2 Kings xxiv, 7 ; and " stream " in 
Isa. xxvii, 12. In Gen. xv, 18, reference is undoubtedly made to the 
Nile as the boundary of the territory promised to Abraham, although this 
extent of territory was never occupied by the seed of Abraham. As to 
the meaning of Kakhal Mitzraim (River of Egypt) in the other passages, the 
best authorities differ. Nakhal primarily signifies a " torrent-bed," a " brook," 
or a "valley," and sometimes both a brook and the valley in which it flows. 
In 1 Kings xvii, 3, it is used in both senses. Its modern equivalent is the 
Arabic word wady, signifying a valley, glen, or ravine of any kind, whether 
the bed of a perennial stream or of a winter torrent, or permanently dry; 
and wady is sometimes (though not so commonly as nakhal) applied to the 
river or stream which flows in the valley. By some nakhal, in the above 
passages, is considered to refer generally, though not always, to the Nile ; 
others think it invariably signifies the Nile, because this signification would 
be in harmony with the theory that the P'gyptian kingdom never extended 
eastward of the eastern branch of the Nile. See Smith's Dictionary, vol. iii, 
pp. 1046-1048. But Nakhal Mitzraim must be identified with the Wady el- 
Arish, a valley and small winter stream which falls into the Mediterranean 
near Rhinocolura. Thus this "torrent," " wady," or "river" of Egypt, was 
the boundary between Egypt and the land promised to Moses, and gained its 
notoriety from being the dividing line between two great countries. 

Ro'gel. 1 Kings i, 9, margin. See Ex-Rogel. 

Roge'lim, fullers 1 place, a town in Gilead, the residence of Barzillai, 
2 Sam. xvii, 27; xix, 31. Unknown. 

Rome, (Maps 1, 8, 19,) the City and the Empire. The name is by 
some derived from 'Pufxn, the Greek word for " strength." Cicero says the 
aame was taken from that of its founder, Romulus. 

The renowned city of Rome stands on the river Tiber, about fifteen miles 



402 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



from its mouth, in the plain which is now called the Campagna. It was 
founded, according to tradition, in 753 B. C, by Romulus, to whom mythol- 
ogy ascribes a divine parentage. By degrees the city was extended from 
the Palatine Hill, on which it was founded, so as to include within its limits 
six other hills. Rome was then called Urbs Septicollis, " City of the Seven 
Hills ; " In B. C. 390 the city was entirely destroyed by the Gauls ; but it 
was immediately rebuilt, yet with no attention to regularity. In the course 
of time many noble structures adorned the city. Augustus Caesar boasted 
that he had found the city of brick and had left it of marble. In Nero's 
reign occurred the great fire (A. D. 64) which destroyed nearly two thirds 
of Rome. Nero rebuilt the city with great splendor. The population has 




ANCIENT ROME — THE FORUM, (RESTORED.) 

oeen computed to have been, in the time of Augustus, at least one million 
three hundred thousand ; and in the reigns of Vespasian and Trajan, about 
two millions. 

The name of Rome does not occur in the Old Testament ; but the prophet 
Daniel mentions the Empire under the name of " the fourth kingdom," Dan. 
ii,40; vii, 7, 17, 19; xi, 30-40. Compare Matt, xxiv, 15; Dan. ix, 27; 
xii, 11 ; and Deut. xxviii, 49-57. In the Apocrypha mention is made of one 
of Rome's hostages, "a wicked root, Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes," 
1 Mace, i, 10. Various references to the empire occur in the books of thu 
Maccabees. Syria became a Roman province B. C. 65, and soon afterward 
Jerusalem was captured by the Romans. " In the second century of the 
Christian era the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the 
earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that 
extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valor." 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 403 

— Gibbon. The population of the empire in Christ's time has been estimated 
%t eighty-five millions; and in the reign of Claudius, (A. D. 41-54,) one hun- 
dred and twenty millions. Concerning the connection of Jewish history 
with the Empire, see Jerusalem. 

In the New Testament frequent reference is made to the city of Rome. 
In Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost there were strangers from Rome, Acts 
ii, 10. Claudius banished Jews from Rome, Acts xviii, 2. Paul's purpose 
to visit Rome, Acts xix, 21; xxiii, 11; Rom. i, 15. Paul a prisoner there 
for two years, Acts xxviii, 14-21. Paul was there aided by Onesiphorus, 
2 Tim. i, 16, 17. Converts to the Gospel in Rome, Rom. xvi, 5-17; Phih 
i, 12-18; iv, 22; 2 Tim. iv, 21. John calls Rome "that great city which 
reigueth over the kings of the earth," Rev. xvii, 18. 

Our chief interest in Rome lies in the fact that the Saviour of the 
world lived under its government, and at the period of its greatest prosper- 
ity; and also in the fact that here the great apostle Paul lived for two years 
a prisoner and a preacher of Christ's Gospel. Here Paul wrote several of 
his epistles to the Churches ; and here, at length, in his second imprison- 
ment, he was beheaded — dying a glorious martyr for Jesus. It is also be- 
lieved that St. Luke here, under the eye of St. Paul, wrote the Acts of the 
Apostles. By the Roman Catholics it is claimed that St. Peter was associ- 
ated with St. Paul, and that they were fellow-prisoners for nine months in 
the Mamertine prison at Rome. But in the New Testament there is not the 
slightest evidence that Peter was ever in Rome at any time. The only 
Scripture passage upon which Romanists pretend to rely to show that Peter 
was in the city is that found in 1 Peter v, 13: " The Church that is at Baby- 
lon elected together with you saluteth you." They here interpret Babylon 
to mean Rome, for which interpretation there is not the shadow of proof. 
It signifies the Babylon in Asia, where, at the very time that Peter wrote, 
Josephus shows there was a very large colony of Jews. "Within three 
centuries after Christ the great seat of Rabbinical learning was fixed at 
Babylon, and then and there the famous Babylonian Talmud was produced." 

At the time St. Paul was carried to Rome Nero was Emperor, and the 
state of society was fearful to contemplate, Emperor and people being alike 
sunk in the lowest social degradation. One of the fathers of the Church has 
thus described it: "The infamy of the circus, the indecency of the theater, 
the cruelty of the amphitheater, the atrocity of the arena, and the folly of 
the games." From a volume of lectures delivered in Rome by Rev. C. M. 
Butler, D. D., and entitled St. Paul in Rome, we make the following instruct- 
ive extracts: "The contemplation of Paul, a slight, worn, and weary man 
in chains, stepping from the ship Castor and Pollux on the crowded quay 
of Puteoli, testifies in the most striking way that not by power nor might, 
but by the Spirit of the Lord, does God confound the mighty. We walk 
amid the ruins of that mighty empire ; but the kingdom which Paul planted 
is spreading over the world, and will at last become the everlasting kingdom 
of righteousness and peace which shall cover all the earth." Of Paul's 
nearer approach to the city Dr. Butler says : " The beautiful blue Alban 
range of hills, with its then conspicuous Temple of Jupiter upon Monte 
Cavo, on the spot now disfigured by the hideous monastery of the Passion 
ists, rose before him as the road wound around its southern slope, which 
was covered with villas, to the point now called Albano. From that posi- 
tion, not too high or distant for the view to be intelligible, lie gazed upon a 



404 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

scene of beauty rarely surpassed, and upon the signs and evidences of power 
concentrated at its imperial seat, never before or since in the histcry of na- 
tions equaled. The vast Campagna, even now singularly and mysteriously 
lovely in its desolation, was then bright and fresh in all the charms which 
cultivation, luxury, and art could add to those of nature. It was a scene of 
solid, palatial villas, of slighter 'houses of pleasure,' as they were called, of 
temples and converging roads, and stately, far-stretching aqueducts, in the 
midst of meadows and vineyards and gardens. It must have been then an 
era in any man's life when he first saw Rome in her glory, as it is now when 
he first sees her in her desolation. 

'■' The first distinct point at which the city would plainly appear, and at 
vhich a traveler would naturally pause, was that at which the lofty monu- 
ment of Pompey, erected by his widow, stood, as its stripped and desolate 
shaft now stands. At his left he would see the villa of the great Triumvir, 
whose ruins can still be traced, transformed into an imperial summer resi- 
dence. Before him the road would be seen to lie straight as an arrow — as 
the same road, recently opened, can still be seen — to its entrance into the city 
at the Porta Capena. But how changed its aspect from then to now ! Now 
a street of scattered, broken tombs ; then the most thronged and splendid 
avenue to a city of probably two millions of inhabitants, through fifteen 
miles of intervening villas and gardens, which were themselves almost a con- 
tinuous city, in the midst of groves and vineyards. . . . The tombs were 
structures of the utmost elegance and beauty. . . . Upon the slopes of these 
tombs, which were fashioned after the Etruscan manner, trees and parterres- 
of flowers were planted. . . . Between the tombs, as they passed, the trav- 
elers must have been constantly regaled with the view of the villas and 
gardens that were placed behind them. . . . The uplifted Palatine Hill, with 
its far-stretching line of palaces, its white gleaming Temple of Apollo, and 
its innumerable porticoes and colonnades ; the theater and portico of Pompey, 
the portico of Octavia, the mausoleum of Augustus, with its gardens ; and, 
high eminent over all the city, the arx of the steep Capitol Hill, and the re- 
splendent temple of Jupiter Capitolinus — what a scene of unequaled mag- 
nificence it must have been ! The one dome of the Pantheon could scarcely 
have been overlooked, and the eyes of Paul, no doubt, rested upon that 
shining heathen bronze, which has since been converted into the sacred 
baldachino of St. Peter's and the orthodox cannon of St. Angelo." 

" And now within the city, and leaving the crowded Aventine Hill on the 
left, and passing between the Caslian and the southern portion of the Pala- 
tine Hill, he emerges on the ridge Velia, where the Arch of Titus was subse- 
quently built, and the famous Forum, the very beating heart of Rome, with 
all its architectural magnificence, is before him. On the left, the Palatine 
Hill, with its connected imperial palaces and temples around its entire circuit, 
and covering with their dependent gardens and areas all its surface. In the 
Porum itself the immense Basilica Julia, commenced by Csesar and com- 
pleted by Augustus, and the opposite, almost equal Basilica ^Emilia, and 
between them, and above and below them, temples, porticoes, altars, and 
rostra; and above, dominating over all, on the abrupt high hill of the 
Capitol, the resplendent temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, all in its unparalleled 
magnificence, burst upon the view of Paul the prisoner." Now, when the 
devout Christian visits Rome, " his first thought is not of Romulus, Caesar, 
or Augustus, of Gregory or of Leo, but of Paul." 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



405 



The most strik- 
ing of the remains 
of the ancient city 
is the Coliseum, 
grand in its size, 
and still sublime 
even ii. ruins. 
Within its vast cir- 
cuit hundreds of 
thousands congre- 
gated to witness 
the fearful death 
of the early Chris- 
tians as they were 
torn asunder by 
ravenous beasts. 
Among the tri- 
umphal arches is 
that of Titus, whose 
inscriptions and 
figures are a me- 
morial of the de- 
struction of Jeru- 
salem. 




ARCH 



TITUS. 



In Revelation the sacred writer calls this city by the name of Babylon, 
because in their hatred of Rome the Jews compared her tyranny to the fear- 
ful captivity in Babylon, Rev. xiv, 8; xvi, 19; xvii, 5; xviii, 2. The expres- 
sion "seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth," in Rev. xvii, 9, un- 
doubtedly refers to the seven-hilled city of Rome. The woman, whose char- 
acter vividly personifies the profligacy of Rome, is described in Rev. xvii. 

For centuries 
this great city has 
been the capital of 
what Protestants 
call the " Papal 
Beast," the Pope 
of Rome. Calling 
himself the " Vicar 
of Christ," and tho 
" Head of the 
Church on Earth," 
uttering his anath- 
emas, and fulmi- 
nating Papal bulls 
against all unbe- 
lievers in the unholy Romish dogmas, and held on his throne for years 
by foreign bayonets — at length, July 18, 1870, Pope Pius IX., by the vote 
of his Oecumenical Council in Rome assembled, was declared to be " Infalli- 
ble." The decree closes with these words: "If then any one — which may 
God forbid! — have the temerity to contradict our definition, let him be anath- 
ema." Let the student jompare with this fact ConyLeare and Ilotcson's 




JEWISH TROPHIES — FROM THE ARCH OF TITUS. 



406 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

version of 2 Thess. ii, 4: "Who opposes himself, and exalts himself against 
all that is called God, and against all worship ; even to seat himself in the 
temple of God, and take on himself openly the signs of Godhead." 

War breaking out between France and Prussia at the same time with 
the adoption of this decree, the French troops were immediately withdrawn 
from Rome. As a result, the King of Italy, Victor Emanuel, at once aimed 
at the unity of the Italian States. After a very brief and almost bloodless 
campaign the troops of Tictor Emanuel entered the gates of the city of 
Rome, September 20, 1870, in the name of the " King and Italian Unity.'' 
The victorious army was received with the wildest delight. Assembled 
thousands shouted, "Long live Rome, the capital of Italy." In a few days 
the king called for the voice of the entire nation. The returns showed that 
the Papal city itself, as well as the provinces, had almost uuanimously voted 
against the Pope. Thus the " States of the Church " are no longer a sepa- 
rate kingdom, and the Pope himself is reduced to a merely spiritual overseer 
or bishop. 

Rosh, (Map 12,) head, chief. The Authorized Version, in Ezek. xxxviii, 
2, 3 ; xxxix, 1, translates the Hebrew term " Rosh " as " chief" or " head." In 
verse 2, " Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal," should undoubtedly 
read " Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal," thus making Rosh 
the first of the three great Scythian tribes. Probably the name occurs also 
in Judith ii, 23, as Rasses, which see. .Gesenius and other eminent scholars 
are inclined to identify Rosh with the Russians. The Bible does not men- 
tion the name of any other modern nation. The first certain notice of the 
Russians under this name occurs A. D. 839 in a Latin Chronicle. 

Ru man, lofty, the native place of Pedaiah, the father of King Jehoiakim's 
mother, 2 Kings xxiii, 36. Keil and others think it may be the same with 
Arumah, which see. Possibly it is identical with Dumah, near Hebron. 

Sabe'ans. See Seba and Sheba. 

Sab'ta and Sab'tah, striking, that is, terror to foes ; the third in order 
of the sons of Cush, and founder of one of the nations of antiquity, Gen. x, 7 ; 
1 Chron. i, 9. It is very difficult to fix the locality of this nation. Some 
locate it in Ethiopia, on the river Astaboras, (now Takazze,) which flows 
through the province of Meroe. Others trace the ancient name in Sab- 
batha, a noted city in south-eastern Arabia, containing not less than sixty 
temples. The western shores of the Persian Gulf are suggested, where 
stood a town called Saphtha. Other theories are advanced. The most prob- 
able opinion settles the tribe in Africa, while some families in their wander- 
ings left their traces along the shores of Arabia 

Sab'techa, and Sab'techah, striking, that is, terror to foes ; the fifth son 
of Cush, and progenitor of a tribe, Gen. x, 7 ; 1 Chron. i, 9. Gesenius sug- 
gests that the territory must be sought in Ethiopia. On Egyptian monu- 
ments the word Sbtk, or Sabatoca, appears as the proper name of the 
Ethiopians. Bochart proposes the northern shore of the Persian Gulf, but 
both etymology and history seem opposed to this theory. The Targum of 
Jonathan renders Zingetani, Zangutbar. 

Sa'la, Luke hi, 35, the Greek form of Sa'lah, shoot extension. The father 
of Eber, Gen. x, 24, (margin, Shelah;) xi, 12-15. Shelah also in 1 Chron. t. 
18, 24. The tribe sprung from this patriarch settled in Mesopotamia. 

Sal amis, (Map 8,) shaken, beaten, one of the chief cities of Cyprus, situ- 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 407 

ated on a plain at the eastern end of the island. It was the first place 
visited by Paul and Barnabas, on the first missionary journey, after leaving 
the mainland at Seleucia, Acts xiii, 45. Probably many Jews resided in 
Cyprus, attracted thither by the copper-mines. See 1 Mace, xv, 23. Salamis 
was ruined by an earthquake in the time of Constantine the Great, and 
when rebuilt it was called Constantia. Its remains are yet to be seen, not 
far from the modern Famagousta. 

Sal'cah, and Sal'chah, (Map 4.) a pilgrimage, a city on the extreme 
eastern limit of Bashan, and of the tribe of Gad, Deut. iii, 10; Josh, xii, 5; 
xiii, 11; 1 Chron. v, 11. Salcah is identified with the modern Sulkhad, 
which occupies a strong and commanding position on a conical hill at the 
southern extremity of the range of Jebel Rauran. Ruins exist, among 
which are many houses still perfect, with stone roofs and stone doors, but 
without inhabitants. An inscription found on a gate bears the date 246 A. D. ; 
another on a tombstone A. D. 196. Mr. Porter says that "the view from the 
summit of the Castle of Salcah is one of the most remarkable for desolation 
in all Palestine." Near the city begins the great Syrian desert which extends 
to the Persian Gulf. See Argob. 

Salem, peace, peaceful. 

1. A poetical abbreviation of Jerusalem, Psa. lxxvi, 2. It is said that the 
Arab poets use the same abbreviation. In Gen. xiv, 18, and Heb. vii, 1, 2, 
reference is made to Melchizedek as " King of Salem." All Jewish com- 
mentators affirm that this Salem thus joined with the name of Melchizedek 
is identical with the Salem of the Psalmist. Christians generally hold the 
same opinion with the Jews. St. Jerome, however, claims that the Salem 
of Gen. xiv, 8, was that "Shalem, a city of Shechem," upward of seventy 
miles to the north of Jerusalem, in the neighborhood of Scythopolis, 
(or Bethshan.) Gen. xxxiii, 18. Mr. Grove (in Smith's Dictionary) says: 
" That a Salem existed where St. Jerome thus places it there need be no 
doubt. Indeed, the name has been recovered at the identical distance below 
Beisdn by Mr. Van de Yelde, at a spot otherwise suitable for iEnon. But 
that this Salem, Salim, or Salumias was the Salem of Melchizedek is as 
uncertain as that Jerusalem was so." The use of the term in Heb. vii, 2, 
seems to indicate that possibly Salem may be merely a title of the king, and 
not a place at all. If the Salem of Genesis and Hebrews is not Jerusalem, 
we cannot express our ignorance more tersely than Mr. Grove does in 
speaking of this word : " Possibly a place, but very doubtful, and if so, not 
known." 

2. A place seized and fortified by the Jews on the approach of Holofernes, 
Judith iv, 4. It is uncertain what place is intended, perhaps a Salim near 
Jezreel. 

Sa'lim, peace. In John iii, 23, it is stated that "John also was baptizing 
in JEnon, near to Salim." The site of each of these places is uncertain. See 
^Enon. Dr. Barclay identifies Salim with Wady Selim, a wild ravine run- 
ning down from Anatlioth into Wady Farah, and JEnon with a large fount- 
ain in that ravine. Mr. Porter inclines to this opinion. Mr. Grove thinks 
Salim may be "perhaps Sheikh Salim, near the Jordan," about six or eight 
miles south of Scythopolis, (Beisdn.) 

Salmon, (Hebrew, Tsalmon,) shady, the name of a hill, Psa. lxviii, 15. 
It is possibly, though not probably, the same as Zalmox, which see. 

Salmo ne, (Map 8,) the eastern point of the island of Crete, mentioned in 



408 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



the account of Paul's voyage to Rome, Acts xxvii, 7. This promontory still 
bears the ancient name. 

Salt, City of, (Map 5,) one of the six cities in the wilderness of Judah, 
Josh, xv, 62. Its name was probably taken from salt-works or mines. It 
was probably near Engedi, with which it is grouped. At the south-western 
extremity of the Dead Sea stands a remarkable range of hills of pure salt, 
near which, perhaps, this city was situated. At the northern end of the 
range, at the mouth of Wady Zuweireh, are ancient ruins, and also at Um 
Baghek, five miles farther north. One or other of these places may mark 
the site of " the City of Salt." 

Salt, Valley op, a name employed five times in Scripture, and refer- 
ring to two events occurring at the place. Its position is not indicated by 
the Bible narrative. A more accurate rendering would substitute " ravine " 
for " valley." In 2 Sam. viii, 13, and 1 Chron. xviii, 12, is an account of the 
slaughter of eighteen thousand Edomites by the army of David in "the 
Valley of Salt." See Psa. lx, title. In 2 Kings xiv, 7, and 2 Chron. xxv, 11, 
Ainaziah is said to have slain ten thousand Edomites in this valley, and 
then, with ten thousand prisoners, to have proceeded to the stronghold of 
the nation at Has-Sela, "the cliff," that is, Petra, and, after taking it, to have 
massacred them by hurling them down the precipice which gave its ancient 
name to the city. Using the more appropriate term "glen," or " ravine," it 
is possible that the place may be the Wady Zuweireh, a well-known pass at 
the northern end of the salt range Khashm Usdum, though the scope of the 
narrative would rather seem to locate it nearer Edom. 

Samaria, (Map 5,) (Hebrew, Shomeron,) watch-height. 

1. A city situated near the middle of Palestine. It was built by Omri, 
King of Israel, on a mountain or hill of the same name, about B. C. 925. 
It was the metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, or of the ten tribes. The 
site of the city is one of rare attractiveness, combining strength, fertility, 
and beauty. The hill was purchased from the owner, Shemer, from whom 
the city t^ok its name, 1 Kings xvi, 23, 24. For two centuries Samaria con- 
tinued to be the capital of Israel till the carrying away of the ten tribes by 
Shalmaneser, about B. C. 720, 2 Kings xviii, 3, 5. During this period it was 
the seat of idolatry. " On that beautiful eminence, looking far over the 
plain of Sharon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and over its own 
fertile vale to the east, the kings of Israel reigned in a luxury which, for the 
very reason of its being like that of more eastern sovereigns, was sure not 
to be permanent in a race destined for higher purposes." — Stanley. Samaria 
was the seat of a temple of Baal, built by Ahab and destroyed by Jehu, 

1 Kings xvi, 32, 33; 2 Kings x, 18-28. In the reigns of Ahab and Joram 
the city was unsuccessfully besieged by the S} r rians, 1 Kings xx, 1-21; 

2 Kings vi, 24-33; vii; but it was ultimately taken by the Assyrians, after a 
siege of three years, in the reign of Hoshea, 2 Kings xvii, 5, 6; xviii, 9, 10. 
The inhabitants were carried away into captivity and colonists put in tiieir 
place, 2 Kings xvii, 24 ; Ezra iv, 9, 10. For some time after the Babylonish 
exile Samaria continued to be a place of importance. It was then taken by 
Alexander the Great, who placed in it a body of SjTo-Macedonians. Subse- 
quently John Hyrcanus took the city, after a year's siege, and razed it to 
the ground. Yet it must soon have revived, as in the time of Alexander 
Jannaeus it was reckoned one of the cities possessed by the Jews. Pompey 
restored it to the province of Syria, and it was afterward rebuilt by Gabin- 



THE FOUR EMPIRES 




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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 413 

hie. Augustus bestowed Samaria on Herod, who eventually lebuilt the 
city with great magnificence, and gave it the name of Sebaste, (the Greek 
translation of the Latin name Augustus.) Here Herod settled a colony of 
six thousand persons, composed partly of veteran soldiers, and partly of 
people from the environs. He enlarged the circumference of the city, sur- 
rounding it with a strong wall. Such was Samaria in the time of the New 
Testament, where Philip preached the gospel, and where a Church was 
gathered by the apostle, Acts vii, 5, 9. But, overshadowed by its neighbor, 
Nablus, Samaria soon began to decay, and the place that once was so re- 
splendent in beauty, "a crown of pride," (Isa. xxviii, 1,) is now only a mass 
of ruins. Compare Micah i. 6; Hosea xiii, 16. These ruins are adjacent to 
the modern village of Sebastiyeh. Sebaste is scarcely mentioned by Eusebius 
as extant, but it is often named by Jerome, and other writers of the same 
and a later age. Along with Nablus, the city fell into the power of the 
Moslems during the siege of Jerusalem, and we hear but little more of it till 
the time of the Crusades. All the notices of the fourth century and later 
lead to the inference that its destruction had already taken place. The 
Crusaders established a Latin bishopric at Sebaste. Saladin marched 
through it A. D. 1184. Notices of the place occur in the records of trav- 
elers of the fourteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. In the 
eighteenth century the place appears to have been left unexplored, but 
lately it has often been visited and described. 

" The remains of the ancient city consist mainly of colonnades, which cer- 
tainly date back to the time of the Herods, and perhaps many of the 
columns are much older. . . . The grand colonnade runs along the south 
side of the hill, down a broad terrace, which descends rapidly toward the 
present village. The number of columns, whole or broken, along this line, 
is nearly one hundred, and many others lie scattered about on lower terraces. 
They are of various sizes and quite irregularly arranged, but when perfect 
it must have been a splendid colonnade. The entire hill is covered with 
rubbish, indicating the existence and repeated destruction of a large city. 
The modern village is on the south-eastern slope, adjacent to the ruined 
Church of St. John. . . . The church ... is an interesting specimen of 
medieval architecture." — Tlie Land and the Book, vol. ii, p. 198. 

2. The Samaria of 1 Mace, v, 66, can hardly be the celebrated city above 
noted. An error has been supposed for Marissa, that is, Mareshah. 

Sama'ria, Kingdom and Province op, (Map 5.) The extent of this 
kingdom varied very greatly in different periods of its history. The name 
was borrowed from the capital city. Samaria at first included that portion 
of the Holy Land which embraced all the tribes over which Jeroboam made 
himself king, whether east or west of the River Jordan, 1 Kings xiii, 32; 
Hosea viii, 5, 6; Amos iii, 9; Ezek. xvi, 53. Then the term Samaritan must 
have indicated every one subject to the king of the northern capital. The 
kingdom became more and more limited in extent by the loss of section after 
section from Jeroboam's old kingdom. The territory " beyond Jordan " was 
invaded first by Pul, and thirty years later by Tiglath-Pileser, King of As- 
ayiia, and the Israelites were taken captive. The oountry thus taken 
from under the jurisdiction of Samaria was no more called by its name, 
1 Chron. v, 26; compare 2 Kings xv, 19, 29. It received the distinctive 
appellation Persca, " beyond." Tiglath-Pileser also invaded northern Pales- 
tine, captured the province of Galilee, and removed its old inhabitants to 



4:14: BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Assyria, 2 Kings xv, 29. This section was then cut off from the kingdom 
of Israel, and no longer bore the name of Samaria. This name was thus 
confined, after the conquests of Tiglath-Pileser, (B. C. 738,) to the central 
portion of Palestine lying between Judah and Galilee. On the capture of 
the city of Samaria, and the final overthrow of the kingdom of Israel by 
Slialmaneser, (B. C. 721,) the Jews were removed, and strangers were 
brought from Assyria " and placed in the cities of Samaria," 2 Kings xvii, 24; 
compare Ezra iv, 10. These colonists took the name of their new country, 
and thenceforth were called Samaritans. Samaria now became a province 
instead of a kingdom. Its extent cannot be exactly defined. The political 
geography of Palestine was undergoing changes every year in consequence 
of incessant wars and conquests, and it was not until the period of Roman 
dominion that the boundaries of provinces began to be accurately defined. 

The province is thus described by Josephus: "The district of Samaria 
lies between Judea and Galilee. Commencing at a village called Ginaea, [the 
modern Jenin,] situated in the Great Plain, [Esdraelon,] it terminates at the 
territory of the Acrabatanes. In its natural characteristics it differs in no 
respect from Judea, hills and plains being interspersed through both ; the 
soil, moreover, being arable and extremely fertile, richly wooded, and amply 
supplied with fruits, both wild and cultivated." — Bell. Jud. iii, 3, 4. The 
geographical position of the province is incidentally mentioned in Luke 
xvii, 11, and in John iv, 4; showing that our Lord "passed through the 
midst of Samaria" on his way from northern Palestine to Jerusalem; and 
that from this latter city to Galilee "he must needs go through Samaria." 
Paul and Barnabas " passed through Phenice and Samaria," on a special 
mission from Antioch to Jerusalem, Acts xv, 3. The name of Samaria as a 
province appears to have passed away after the time of Roman rule in Syria. 
It is now wholly unknown to the natives of the country. See Samaria (1,) 
the city. 

Samaritans. In the Old Testament the word Samaritan occurs but once, 
in 2 Kings xvii, 29. Here it has a wider significance than in its later use 
in the New Testament. The meaning of the term might vary with the vary- 
ing extent and history of the kingdom. (See Samaria, Kingdom and Prov- 
ince of.) The origin of these people is obscure. On this point Dr. Hessey 
(in Smith's Dictionary) says: " Shalmaneser, as we have seen, (2 Kings 
xvii, 5, 6, 26,) carried Israel, that is, the remnant of the ten tribes which 
still acknowledged Hoshea's authority, into Assyria. This remnant con- 
sisted ... of Samaria, (the city,) and a few adjacent cities and villages. 
Now, 1. Did he carry away all their inhabitants, or no ? 2. Whether they 
were wholly dr only partially desolated, who replaced the deported popula- 
tion? On the answer to these inquiries will depend our determination of 
the question, Were the Samaritans a mixed race, composed partly of Jews, 
partly of new settlers, or were they purely of foreign extraction ? " Dis- 
cussing these questions, the writer alluded to concludes that " the cities of 
Samaria were not partially, but wholly, evacuated of their inhabitants in 
B. 0. 721, and that they remained in this desolate state until, in the words 
of 2 Kings xvii, 24, ' the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and 
from Cuthah, and from Ava, (Ivah, 2 Kings xviii, 34,) and from Hamath, 
and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of 
the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities 
thereof.' Thus the new Samaritans ... were Assyrians by birth or subju 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 415 

gation, were utterly strangers in the cities of Samaria, and were exclusively 
the inhabitants of those cities." This writer's line of argument, (for which 
we have not space,) supported as it is by eminent names, and plausible as it 
is in some respects, cannot, it seems to us, be substantiated from Scripture 
Dr. Davidson (in Kitto) says : " Erom 2 Kings xvii, 24, it cannot be inferred 
that the Israelites were removed to the last man, because we learn from 
2 Chron. xxxiv, 9, that a remnant of Israel existed in the cities of Manasseh, 
Ephraim, and Simeon, of whom the Levites collected money for the repair 
of the temple in Josiah's reign. The same king sent to search the houses 
in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naph- 
tali, and to destroy the high places and idolatrous altars in the land, 
(2 Chron. xxxiv, 6, 7 :) showing that there was still a remnant of Israelites 
in the land, after the times of Esarhaddon, that had not been carried away." 

Thus the new race became owners of the soil, the Israelites who remained 
being no longer the chief inhabitants. The removal of all the priests does 
not indicate the removal of all the inhabitants. It was the posterity of this 
new population, intermingled with the Israelites who remained, that after- 
ward, in New Testament times, bore the name of Samaritans. Although, 
doubtless, the heathen element predominated in this intermixture of Jewish 
blood, yet the Samaritans never ceased to claim descent from Jacob, 
John iv, 12. These Eastern tribes, utterly ignorant of the true God, and 
earnestly worshiping their own false deities, found the Israelites only too 
ready to fall at once into all their idolatrous practices. For their abomina- 
tions the Lord sent lions among them and sorely punished them. On their 
application, one of the captive priests was brought back to teach the people 
"the manner of the God of the land." Jehovah was then worshiped by 
this people, but only as one among their many gods, the idols of each re- 
spective tribe being equally honored by them, 2 Kings xvii, 25-41. Thus 
continued this mixture of Hebrews and heathen — their religion a wretched 
commingling of truth and error, in which " the false and foul far overbore 
the pure and true." 

After the Jews' return from Babylon the Samaritans desired to take part 
with Zerubbabel in rebuilding the temple, probably relying on the Hebrew 
element among them. Being refused, they were filled with envy and ra.ue. 
The}* represented to the Persian kings the danger of allowing Jerusalem to 
rise again to honor and influence, and thus for several years the work at 
Jerusalem was forbidden, Ezra iv. Later still they manifested the same 
hostility, Neh. iv, vi. 

The envy and malice of the Samaritans culminated in the erection of a 
rival temple on Mount Gerizim. About 409 B. C. a certain Manasseh, of 
priestly lineage, on being expelled from Jerusalem by Nehemiah for an un- 
lawful marriage, obtained permission from the Persian king of his day, Darius 
Nothus, to build this temple. It is not certain that the temple was erected 
during the days of Manasseh. Possibly it was not built till the time of 
Alexander the Great. The celebrated Samaritan Pentateuch, for which the 
very highest antiquity is claimed, may possibly have been carried to the 
people by Manasseh ; but it seems more probable that they may have 
had copies of the same before. The animosity of the two races now be- 
came more bitter than ever. The Samaritans annoyed the Jews in every 
possible mode. They refused hospitalities to pilgrims, as in the case of our 
Lord ; and many, through fear, were compelled to take the longer route to 



416 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

and from Jerusalem, by the east of Jordan. As various Jewish apostates 
from time to time resorted to them, the Samaritans possessed additional 
claims to Hebrew descent, and, holding superstitiously to their copy of the 
Pentateuch, they professed to observe the law more strictly than the Jews 
themselves. The latter were not less blameworthy in their conduct. The 
products of Samaria, and all articles of diet among them, were pronounced 
by the Jews as unclean as swine's flesh. The Samaritans were never to be 
received as proselytes to the Jews' religion, and they were declared incapable 
{•f partaking of the resurrection to eternal life. 

The condition of the two rival races above noted will throw much light 
on many Scripture passages ; as, for instance, our Lord's first charge to nis 
apostles not to enter into a city of the Samaritans, Matt, x, 5. Thus James 
and John showed their Jewish dislike to the Samaritans on account of the 
inhospitality of the latter, Luke ix, 52-56. The surprise of the Samaritan 
woman that a Jew should ask her for a drink of water, and the wonderful 
fact that these Samaritans should listen kindly to the words of Jesus, are 
narrated in John iv, 1-42. How forcible in the light of this history is the 
parable of the Good Samaritan! Luke x, 25-37. Then, again, of the ten 
lepers that were cleansed the only one that gave thanks and glorified God 
was a Samaritan, Luke xvii, 11-19. By command of Christ, after his resur- 
rection the Gospel was preached in Samaria, Acts i, 8; and when Philip 
preached Christ in the city of Samaria "there was great joy in that city," 
Acts viii, 5-22. 

The Samaritans were very troublesome both to their Jewish neighbors 
and to their Roman masters in the first century A. D. Pilate chastised 
them with a severity which led to his own downfall; and a slaughter of ten 
thousand and six hundred of them took place under Vespasian. Still they 
continued to be numerous, and were considered the determined enemies of 
Christianity. After a while they sank into an obscurity which, though they 
are just noticed by travelers of the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, was 
scarcely broken until the sixteenth century. At present the Samaritans 
number only about two hundred persons. They have now a settlement at 
NalMs, where they still observe the Law, and still, on a sacred spot on 
Mount Gerizim, celebrate the Passover with the most tenacious minuteness 
of ceremonial observance. See Siiechem. 

Sa'mos, (Map 8,) an island in the JFjgenn Sea, near the coast of Lydia, 
about five miles from the promontory of Trogjdlium, over against Miletus, 
1 Mace, xv, 23. It was celebrated as the seat of Juno-worship, for its val- 
uable pottery, and as the birth-place of Pythagoras. St. Paul touched at 
the island on his voyage from Greece to Syria, Acts xx, 1 5. Whether he 
landed or not is uncertain. At the time of Paul's visit Samos was a free 
city in the province of A sia. Some years ago it contained sixty thousand 
people, inhabiting eighteen large villages and about twenty small ones. At 
the present time the wine of Samos ranks high among Levantine win63, and 
is largely exported, as are also grapes and raisins. 

Samothra'cia, (Map 8,) an island in the north-east part of the iEgean 
Sea, above the Hellespont, with a lofty mountain and a city of the same 
name. Anciently it was called Dardana, Leucania, and also Samos ; and, to 
distinguish it from the other Samos, the name of Thrace was added from its 
vicinity to that country. It was formerly celebrated for the mysteries of 
Ceres and Proserpine. St. Paul touched at this island in his first voyage to 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 417 

Europe. Acts xvi, 11. It is now called Samotraki or Samandraki. It is 
but thinly peopled, and contains only a single village. 

Samp sanies, 1 Mace, xv, 23. Probably a place : possibly now Samsun, 
on the Black Sea. 

Sansan'nah, palm branch (?), a town in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 31. 
In Josh, xix, 5, and 1 Chron. iv, 31, for it and Madmannah, with which it is 
here classed, we have Hazar-Susah, ("horse village,") and Beth-Marcoboth, 
("house of chariots.") Mr. Wilton thinks it identical with Hazar-Susah, and 
locates H in the modern Wady es~Suny or Sunith. 

Saph'ir, fair, one of the villages addressed by the prophet Micah, Micah. 
i, 11. It is described by Eusebius and Jerome as "in the mountain district 
between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon." Possibly it is identical with es-Sawdfir, 
between Ascalon and Beit-Jibrin. In this vicinity Robinson found three 
villages of that name, two with affixes. 

Sar'amel, 1 Mace, xiv, 28. A place of whose location nothing is known. 
Possibly it was not a place, but simply a title of Simeon the high priest. 

Sar'dis, (Map 8,) the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, situated at 
the foot of Mount Tmolus, in a fine plain watered by the river Pactolus. 
In the time of Omphale its name was Hyde'. From its wealth and import- 
ance Sardis was often an object of envy to warlike kings. Under Croesus, 
its last king, it was one of the most splendid and opulent cities of the East. 
After its conquest by Cyrus the Persians always kept a garrison in the 
citadel on account of its natural strength, which induced Alexander the 
Great, when it was surrendered to him in the sequel of the battle of the 
Granicus, similarly to occupy it. In the dynasties which arose after the 
death of Alexander Sardis more than once changed hands. It was sacked 
by the army of Antiochus the Great in the year 214 B. C. Afterward it 
passed under the kings of Pergamus. During the reign of Tiberius Sardis 
was destroyed by an earthquake, but was rebuilt by the Emperor's assistance. 

Here was one of the "seven churches of Asia," to which John addressed 
his apocalyptic message : " Thou hast a few r names, even in Sardis, which 
have not defiled their garments," Rev. hi, 4. The ancient inhabitants of 
this city bore an ill repute among the ancients for their voluptuous habits of 
life. This worldliness contaminated the Church, doubtless, and hence the 
cutting words of the revelator: "I know thy works, that thou hast a name 
that thou livest, and art dead," Rev. iii, 1, 

The ravages of the Saracens and Turks, together with successive earth- 
quakes, have made this proud city a heap of ruins. The modern name is 
Sert-Kalessi. A few miserable cottages exist amid the remains of former 
grandeur. The ruins are chiefly those of the theater, stadium, and of some 
churches. Two remarkable pillars, which are supposed to have belonged to 
the massive Temple of Cybele, still bear witness to the wealth and architect- 
ural skill of the people that raised it. 

Sar'dites, The. The descendants of Sered the son of Zebulun, Num. 
xxvi, 2b. 

Sarep'ta, Luke iv, 26. See Zarephath. 

Sa'rid, a survivor, a place in Zebulun, west of Chisloth-Tabor, Josh, xix, 
10, 12. Unknown. 

Sa'ron, Acts ix, 35. See Sharon. 

Scyth'ian, (Map 12,) a word employed in Col. iii, 11, as a generalized 
term for rude, ignorant, degraded. Compare 2 Mace, iv, 47. The Scythians 



418 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

were probably descendants of Magog. They roamed over the regions of 
Asia north of the Black and Caspian seas, and were, in fact, the ancient 
representatives of the modern roving Tartars. According to Herodotus 
the Scythians invaded Egypt, passing through Palestine, under Psarnmeti- 
chus, the contemporary of Josiah. From this fact it is generally believed 
that Beth-Shean derived its classical name of Scythopolis. 

Scythop'olis, (Map 20,) city of tlie Scythians, Judith iii, 10. See 
Beth-Shean. 

Sea. Among the Hebrews the term " sea " was used for large bodies of 
water, and " pool " for smaller. Thus sea (Hebrew, ydm) is applied to what 
we regard as the ocean, Gen. i, 2, 10 ; also to various parts of the ocean, to 
large inland lakes, even to smaller lakes, Job xiv, 1 1 ; and to great rivers, 
as the Nile, Isa. xix, 5 ; Amos viii, 8, (A. V. " flood ; ") Nah. iii, 8 ; Ezra 
xxxii, 2, and the Euphrates, Jer. li, 36. 

1. The Sea of Chinnereth, Num. xxxiv, 11 ; The Sea of Tiberias, John 
xxi, 1. See Galilee, Sea of. 

2. The Mediterranean. See Mediterranean Sea. 

3. The Red Sea, (Maps 1, 2, 8.) This body of water was often called 
simply "the sea," where there was no danger of confounding it with the 
Mediterranean, Exod. xiv, 2, 9, 16, 21, 28 ; xv, 1, 4, 8, 10, 19 ; Josh, xxiv, 6, 7 ; 
and in many other passages. In Isa. xi, 15 it is, " the Egyptian Sea." Its 
special name in Hebrew is " the sea of Suph," Exod. x, 19 ; xiii, 18 ; xv, 4, 22 ; 
xxiii, 31; Num. xiv, 25; xxi, 4; etc. In the New Testament it bears its 
usual Greek name, the Erythraean Sea, that is the Red Sea, Acts vii, 36; 
Heb. xi, 29. Compare 1 Mace, iv, 9. The Hebrew name " Suph " is sup 
posed to mean "weedy; " hence "the weedy sea." Sea- weed is at this day 
thrown up abundantly on its shores. It has been thought also to include a 
fluvial rush, such as the papyrus. Many conjectures are made concerning 
the application of the term " red " to this sea. Some derive it from Edom, 
which signifies "red," the Edomitish territory being washed by the north- 
eastern arm of the sea. Some take the term from the red color of the 
mountains on the western shores, or from the red coral, or the red appear- 
ance of the water occasioned by certain zoophytes. Others again hold that 
as the Himyaric tribes of Southern Arabia bear a name implying red, the 
sea derived its name from these red men. Dean Stanley says : " The ap- 
pellation ' Red Sea,' as applied distinctly to the two gulfs of Suez and 'Akaba, 
is comparatively modem. It seems to have been applied to them only as 
continuations of the Indian Ocean, to which the name of the Erythraean or 
Red Sea was given at a time when the two gulfs were known to the Hebrews 
only by the name of the ; Sea of Weeds,' and to the Greeks by the name of 
the Bays of Arabia and Elath. This in itself makes it probable that the term 
' Red ' was derived from the corals of the Indian Ocean, and makes it 
impossible that it should have been from Edom, the mountains of Edom, 
as is well known, hardly reaching to the shores of the Gulf of Akaba, cer- 
tainly not to the shores of the ocean. 4 As we emerged from the mouth of a 
small defile,' writes the late Captain Newbold, in describing his visit to the 
mountains of Nakus near T6r, ' the waters of this sacred gulf burst upon our 
view ; the surface marked with annular, crescent-shaped and irregular blotches 
of a purplish red, extending as far as the eye could reach. They were curi- 
ously contrasted with the beautiful aqua-marina of the water lying over the 
white coral reefs. This red color I ascertained to be caused by the subjacent 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 419 

red sandstone and reddish coral reefs ; a similar phenomenon is observed 
in the Straits of Babel-Mandeb, and also near Suez, particularly when 
the rays of the sun fall on the water at a small angle. 1 — Journal of Roy. Asiat. 
Society, No. xiii, p. 78. This accurate description is decisive as to the origin of 
the name, though Captain Newbold draws no such inference. The Hebrew 
word ' suph,' though used commonly for ' flags ' or ' rushes,' could by an easy 
change be applied to any aqueous vegetation." — Sinai and Palestine, p. 6, note. 

The Red Sea lies between Egypt and Arabia. The two gulfs into which 
its northern end divides hold between them the Sinaitic Peninsula. Its 
length is about fourteen hundred miles, its average breadth one hundred 
and fifty miles, with an area of about one hundred and eighty thousand 
square miles. The western arm, now called the Gulf of Suez, across which 
the Israelites made their escape, is about one hundred and ninety miles 
long, with an average width of about twenty-one miles. The eastern arm, 
the Gulf of Akaba, is about one hundred and twelve miles long, with an 
average width of fifteen miles. The sea is very deep, being more than six 
thousand feet at its deepest soundings. Groups of islands, coral-reefs, sand- 
banks, and the prevailing winds, render navigation difficult. The coral so 
abundantly found is generally white, though some of it is red, and occasion- 
ally it is beautifully variegated. Chains of mountains on both sides rise 
at some distance from the shore to the height sometimes of six or seven 
thousand feet. 

The passage of the Israelites over the western arm of the sea is recorded 
in Exodus xiv, xv. This miraculous event is frequently referred to in the 
Scriptures: Num. xxxiii, 8: Deut. xi, 4; Josh, ii, 10; Judg. xi, 1G; 2 Sam. 
xxii, 16; Neh. ix, 9-11; Psa. lxvi, 6; Isa. x, 26; Acts vii. 36; 1 Cor. x, 
1, 2; Heb. xi, 29, etc. After spying the land the Israelites return "into 
the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea," Num. xiv, 25. They "journeyed 
from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom," 
Num. xxi, 4. From the way of the Red Sea came locusts, Exod. x, 12-19; 
and also quails, Num. xi, 31. King Solomon "made a navy of ships ... on 
the shore of the Red Sea," 1 Kings ix, 26; x, 22; 2 Chron. viii, 17, 13. The 
ports of Elath and Ezion-Geber were toward the extremity of what is now 
called the Gulf of Akaba. 

To the Christian reader the chief interest in the Red Sea centers in the 
stupendous miracle by which the children of Israel passed over it, while 
"the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the 
heart of the sea," Exod. xv, 8. The route of the Hebrews' " wandering" is 
not yet accurately determined, nor is the precise place fixed where the 
Israelites crossed the sea. " The passage of the Red Sea, as Niebuhr has 
well remarked, is fixed wherever the traveler puts the question to his Aiab 
guides. The 'Wells of Moses,' the 'Baths of Pharaoh,' the 'Baths of 
Moses,' all down the Gulf of Suez, and the 'Island of Pharaoh,' in the Gulf 
of Akaba, equally derive their names from traditions of the passage at each 
of these particular spots." "There is unquestionably a general atmosphere 
of Mosaic tradition every-where. From Petra to Cairo, from the northern 
platform of the peninsula to its southern extremity, the name and the story 
of Moses is still predominant. There are two groups of 'Wells of Moses,' 
one on each side of the Gulf of Suez; there are the ' Baths of Pharaoh,' and 
the 'Baths of Moses' farther down the coast; there is the ' Scat of Moses ' 
near Bisutfn, and in the Wady Feiran; there is ihe ' Mountain of Moses' in 

20 



420 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



the cluster of Sinai ; the • Cleft of Moses ' in Mount St. Catharine; the 'Valley ' 
and the ' Cleft of Moses ' at Petra. . . . There is the romantic story toid to 
Burckhardt, that the soughing of wind down the Pass of Nuweybi'a, on 
that gulf, is the wailing of Moses as he leaves his loved mountains." — Stan- 
ley's Sinai and Palestine, pp. 29, 30, 32. 

On nearly all maps of the •' wanderings " the route is marked as just across 
the head of the Gulf of Suez. The present limit of this gulf could not have 
been the same in the time of Moses. Since the Christian era the head of 
the gulf has retired for a distance of at least fifty miles from its ancient 
head. Hence it may be possible that the passage of the sea was where there 
is at present a sandy waste. The prediction of Isaiah has been fulfilled : 
"And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian Sea," Isa. 
xi, 15 ; "the waters shall fail from the sea," xix, 5. An ancient canal con- 
veyed the waters of the Nile to the Red Sea, flowing through the Wady 
et-Tumeylat, and irrigating with its system of water-channels a large extent 
of country ; and it also conveyed the commerce of the Red Sea to the Nile, 
thus avoiding the risks of the desert journey. The drying up of the head 
of the gulf appears to have been one of the chief causes of the neglect and 
ruin of this canal. The land north of the ancient head of the gulf is a plain 
of heavy sand, merging into marsh-land near the Mediterranean coast, and 
extending to Palestine. The old bed of the sea is indicated by the Birket-et- 
Timsah, or " Lake of the Crocodile," and the more southern Bitter Lakes, 
the northernmost part of the former probably corresponding to the head of 
the gulf at the time of the Exodus. Possibly the Israelites marched through 
what is now the Wady et-Tumeylat, or, it may be, along the Wady et-Teeh. 
which leads to the Red Sea from opposite Memphis. 

The constant and zealous explorations of Christian travelers may, and 
doubtless will, fix with certainty the yet disputed route of the Israelites, 
To those who assail the miracle itself we offer the comprehensive words of 
Bonar : "Deny the miracle, and the circuitous route remains to be accounted 
for. Dilute the miracle, and reduce it to its minimum by the gratuitous 
hypothesis of an extraordinary ebb-tide, still the westward march is a mys- 
tery. Admit the miracle, and the narrative is as consistent and intelligible 
as the event is marvelous and Divine." See Wilderness. 

4. The Salt Sea, (Maps 2, 4, 5.) This noted inland sea bears also the 
following names : Sea of the Plain, Deut. iv, 49 ; 2 Kings xiv, 25. The Salt 
Sea, Deut. iii, 17 ; Josh, iii, 16; xii, 3. The Sea, Ezek. xlvii, 8. The East 
Sea, Joel ii, 20 ; Ezek. xlvii, 18 ; Zech. xiv, 8. The Sodomitish Sea, 2 Esdr. 
v, 7. In the Talmud it is the Sea of Sodom ; in Josephus, the Asphaltic 
Lake. By the Arabs it is called the Dead Sea from its character, and the 
Sea of Lot (Bahr Lut) from its history. The name " Dead Sea " appears to 
have been first used in Greek by Pausanias and Galen ; and in Latin by 
Justin, or rather by the older historian, Trogus Pompeius, (about 10 B. C.,) 
whose work he epitomized. Eusebius also employed it. This is now its 
recognized and established name, arising from the general belief in the many 
very exaggerated stories of its gloomy aspect and deadly character. 

This sea is forty geographical, or forty-six English miles long. Its great- 
est width is nine geographical, or ten and one third English miles. Its area 
embraces about two hundred and fifty geographical miles. These dimen- 
sions vary according to the time of the year. Its greatest depth is about 
thirteen hundred feet. The Dead Sea is the final receptacle of the river 



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BIBLE GEOGTCAPHY. 



423 




JEBEL USDUM. 

Jordan. On its eastern side it receives the Zurka MtCin, the Mujib, (the 
Arnon of the Bible,) and the Beni-Hemad. On the south the Kurahy or 
El-Ahsy ; and on the west, that of Ain Jidy. Along the western side are 
also a number of springs — some fresh, some warm, some salt and fetid — 
which appear to run continually, and all find their way, more or less ab- 
sorbed by the sand and shingle of the beach, into its waters. This large 
Dody of water has no visible outlet ; and it is believed there can bo no invis- 



424 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

iblo one ; indeed, the evaporation is amply sufficient to carry off the supply 
without an outlet. 

In shape the Dead Sea is an irregular oval. The shores are much in- 
dented in parts. A tongue of land, about five miles wide where it leaves 
the straight coast, projects into the sea about seven miles, and then curves 
toward the north; and at its end, near the west shore, it is nine miles long. 
South of this peninsula the Dead Sea is a lagoon, with a variable depth of 
from ten to fourteen feet. The surface of the sea is " thirteen hundred feet 
below the level of the Mediterranean Sea, and thus is the most depressed 
sheet of water in the world ; as the Lake Sirikol," where the Oxus rises, . . . 
is the most elevated." — Stanley. The exact depression, according to Lieut. 
Lynch, (1848,) is 1,316.7 ; but the report of the Royal Engineers who lately 
surveyed the country makes it 1,289 feet. 

Besides the Scripture references above given, there are other allusions, 
some of which connect the Dead Sea with events among the most strik- 
ing in Bible history. Lot chose the borders of this sea as his home. 
Gen. xiii, 12. Here occurred the famous battle of four kings against live, 
in which Lot was taken prisoner, Gen. xiv, 1-12. Here were destroyed 
Sodom and Gomorrah, with the other " cities of the plain," when God rained 
" brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven," Gen. xix, 24. Then fol- 
lowed the strange fate of Lot's wife, xix, 26. The coast of the Dead Sea 
was a border of the land, Num. xxxiv, 2-12, and the east boundary of 
Judah, Josh, xv, 1-5. Here also was the scene of the prophet's vision re- 
corded in Ezek. xlvii. Of this Mr. Stanley (S. and P., p. 288) remarks: 
" The imagery of this vision is often used in illustration of the spread of 
philanthropic or missionary beneficence ; but its full force, as the prophet 
first delivered it, can only be appreciated by those who have seen the deso- 
late basin of the Salt Sea, and marked the features of its strange vicinity." 

The excessive saltness of the water is remarkable. The principal causes 
of this saltness are found in the remarkable salt-hills called Jebel Usdum, sit- 
uated at the south-west corner of the sea. The saline particles of the water 
of the ocean are four per cent, while the Dead Sea contains twenty- 
six and a quarter per cent. Mr. Stanley, referring to Peterman's Atlas, and 
Ansted's Elementary Geology, cites two lakes whose waters are still more 
salt. " Lake Elton (which is situated on the steppes east of the Volga, and 
supplies a great part of tiie salt of Russia) contains twent}^-nine per cent." — 
S. and P., page 286, note. The other is Lake Urumia, whose per cent, 
of salt is not stated. " But Moritz Wagner, in his travels in Persia, (ii, 136, 
Leipsic, 1852,) . . . says that the salt and iodine of the water of this lake far 
surpass those of the Dead Sea," p. 286, note. 

The specific gravity of this sea is, according to Herepath, 1,172. Mr. 
Porter says that he floated in it " easily in an upright position, with head 
and shoulders above the water." Says Lieut. Lynch, " Eggs which would 
have sunk in the ocean floated here with only two thirds immersed." Ii 
has been thought that no life could subsist about the sea ; that no bird 
could fly across its waters ; that the waters were dull and motionless, and 
their steam deadly. These notions are now nearly all exploded. The 
heights surrounding are often wild, but the general view of the lake is beau- 
tiful. Sometimes the waters are as blue as in other lakes. " Living crea- 
tures, though of a low type, have been found in them ; and animals, birds, 
and especially reptiles, throng the neighboring thickets, while ducks and 



'»■«■ '-- ■-- 




BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 42^ 

other aquatic birds have been observed swirrfming and diAing in the water. 
Most of these are said to be of a stone color, so as easily to escape notice- 
Lighted up by the rising or setting sun, the tints of the mountains are often, 
gorgeous." — Ayre. Concerning the question of animal life being supported 
in the sea, Mr. Porter thinks that the " fact has not yet been established on 
conclusive evidence," Kitto, vol. iii, p. 800. Mr. Stanley says: "The birds 
that pass over it without injury have long ago destroyed the belief that no 
living creature could survive the baneful atmosphere which hung upon its 
waters." — S. and P., p. 284. Concerning the general aspect of the sea, Mr. 
Grove (in Smith's Dictionary) remarks : " With all the brilliancy of its illumi- 
nation, its frequent beauty of coloring, the fantastic grandeur of its inclosing 
mountains, and the tranquil charm afforded by the reflection of that une- 
qualed sky on the no less unequaled mirror of the surface — with all these 
there is something in the prevalent sterility, and the dry, burnt look of the 
shores, the overpowering heat, the occasional smell of sulphur, the dreary 
salt marsh at the southern end, and the fringe of dead drift-wood round the 
margin, which must go far to excuse the title which so many ages have at- 
tached to the lake, and which we may be sure it will never lose." 

The generally received opinion has been that the " cities of the plain " 
lie engulfed beneath the waters of the Dead Sea. Recent investigations have 
led some eminent scholars to reject this view. They hold that, if sub- 
merged at all, these cities must be under the northern part, and that the 
southern part of the lake, instead of being anciently dry land, was really 
much deeper than at present. On the origin of the Dead Sea, with re- 
gard specially to supposed volcanic agencies, the view of Mr. Tristam, in 
his Land of Israel, will be interesting to the student. " I think there can 
be no question," he says, "but that the old notions of volcanic agencies 
about the Dead Sea were erroneous, and that many writers, like De Saulcy, 
have been misled by endeavoring to square their preconceived interpreta- 
tion of Scripture with the facts they saw around them. . . . Such traces are 
not to be found. . . . The whole region has been slowly and gradually formed 
through a succession of ages, and ... its peculiar phenomena are similar to 
thoso of other salt lakes in Africa, or referable to its unique and depressed 
position. But, setting aside all preconceived notions, and taking the simple 
record of Gen. xix as we find it, let us see whether the existing condition 
of the country throws any light upon the biblical narrative. Certainly we 
do observe by the lake sulphur and bitumen in abundance. Sulphur springs 
stud the shores ; sulphur is strewn, whether in layers or in fragments, over 
the desolate plains; and bitumen is ejected in great floating masses from 
the bottom of the sea, oozes through the fissures of the rocks, is deposited 
with gravel on the beach, or, as in the Wady Mahawat, appears with sul- 
phur to have been precipitated during some convulsion. We know that at 
the times of earthquakes in the north the bitumen seems even in our own 
day to be detached from the bottom of the lake, and that floating islets of 
that substance have been evolved coincident with the convulsions so ire* 
quent in north-eastern Palestine. Every thing leads to the conclusion uiat 
the agency of fire was at work, though not the overflowing of an ordinary 
volcano. The materials were at hand, at whichever end of the lake we 
place the doomed cities, and may probably have been accumulated then to 
a much greater extent than at present. The kindling of such a mass of 
combustible material, either by lightning from heaven or by ether electrical 



±28 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

agency, combined with an earthquake ejecting the bitumen or sulphur from 
the lake, would soon spread devastation over the plain, so that the smoke 
of the country would go up as the smoke of a furnace. There is no au- 
thority whatever in the biblical record for the popular notion that the site 
of the cities has been submerged, and Mr. Grove (in his able and exhaustive 
article in the Biblical Dictionary, ' Sodom ') has justly stated ' that there is 
no warrant for imagining that the catastrophe was a geological one, and in 
any other case all traces of action must at this distance of time have 
vanished.' The simple and natural explanation seems — when stripped of 
all the wild traditions and strange horrors with which the mysterious sea 
has been invested — to be this, that, during some earthquake, or without its 
direct agency, showers of sulphur, and probably bitumen, ejected from the 
lake or thrown up from its shores, and ignited perhaps by the lightning 
which would accompany such phenomena, fell upon the cities and destroyed 
them. The history of the catastrophe has not only remained in the inspired 
record, but is inscribed in the memory of the surrounding tribes by many a 
local tradition and significant name." From Dr. Porter's able article in 
Kitto's Cyclopedia we present a brief extract expressing his view on the 
question of submergence. " It was manifestly," he says, " the opinion of 
Moses that the Yale of Siddim was submerged. ... It is said ' the Yale of 
Siddim was full of bitumen pits.' . . . There is no part of the valley north of 
the sea to which this would apply ; nor, indeed, is there any plain or vale 
along its shores ' full of bitumen pits at the present day.' These facts render 
it impossible that the Yale of Siddim could have been in the Plain of Jericho ; 
and they seem to confirm the previous statement that Siddim was sub- 
merged." Quoting, then, from Dr. Robinson's latest work, (published since 
his death,) in which Robinson says, "It seems to be a necessary conclusion 
that the Dead Sea extended no farther south than the peninsula, and that 
the cities destroyed lay on the south of the lake as it then existed," Dr. 
Porter adds: ''Notwithstanding the arguments and almost contemptuous 
insinuations of some recent writers, not a single fact has been adduced cal- 
culated to overthrow this view ; but, on the contrary, each new discovery 
seems as if a new evidence in its favor. It must be admitted, however, that 
these are still subjects for observation and scientific research rather than 
for speculation and dogmatic affirmation. It is greatly to be desired that 
some accomplished practical geologist should undertake a thorough examin- 
ation of the valley of the Jordan and Dead Sea. He would reap a rich 
harvest, and he would confer a rich boon as well upon science as upon 
biblical literature." See Siddim; Sodom; Gomorrah. 

5. Sea of Jazer, Jer. xlviii, 32. See Jaazer. 

Se'ba, (Map 12,) man, a son of Cush, (Gen. x, 7; 1 Chron. i, 9,) whoso 
descendants appear to have formed a nation in the distant south, Psa. 
lxxii, 10. In lsa. xliii, 3, they are mentioned as of equal importance with 
Egypt and Ethiopia. In lsa. xlv, 14, they are termed Sabeans. The term 
Sabeans in Ezek. xxiii, 42, is "drunkard" in the margin. According to 
Josephus, Cambyses gave to Seba, the royal city of Ethiopia, the name of 
Meroe, after his sister. Meroe was an extensive region inclosed by the 
rivers Astapus {Bohr el-Azrak) and Astaboras, (Tacazze,) extending to the 
narrow tract where the latter river joins the Nile. This country appears to 
answer all the conditions required for the identification of Seba. Meroe, the 
capital city, was about ninety miles south of the junction of the Nile and the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 420 

Astaboras. About twenty miles north-east of the Nubian town Shendy are 
extensive ruins which mark the site of Meroe. See Siieba. 

Sec'acah, inclosure, a town in the wilderness of Judah, probably near to 
the Dead Sea, Josh, xv, 61. Unknown. 

Se'chu, watch-toiver, a place apparently lying on the route between Saul's 
residence, Gibeah, and that of Samuel, Ramathaim-Zophim. It was noted 
for its "great well," 1 Sam. xix, 22. Possibly Bir Ntballa, (the "Well of 
Neballa,) near Neby Samwil, may mark the place. 

Se'ir, (Maps 2, 3,) hairy, bristly, the mountain district on the east of the 
Arabah, anciently inhabited by the Horites, Gen. xiv, 6; Deut. ii, 12. The 
name may come either from Seir, the Horite chief, Gen. xxxvi, 20, or from 
i he rough aspect of the whole region. Afterward Seir was the possession 
of Esau and his posterity, Gen. xxxii, 3; xxxiii, 14, 16; xxxvi, 8, 9; Deut. ii, 
4, 22; 2 Chron. xx, 10. Hence Seir is sometimes put for Edom, or the 
Edomites, Ezek. xxv, 8, but the old name of Seir was not lost. This district 
extended from the Dead Sea to the Elanitic Gulf. See Edom. The northern 
part of Seir is now called Jebal, and the southern Esh-Sherah. 

2. Another Mount Seir is named as one of the landmarks on the north 
boundary of Judah, Josh, xv, 10. It lay westward of Kirjath-Jearim, and 
between it and Beth-Shemesh. The site is unknown. 

Se'irath, a she-goat, shaggy, the place where Ehud fled after his murder 
of Eglon, Judg. hi, 26, 27. Perhaps it was the same as Seir, (2,) but nothing 
is known of it. 

Se la and Se'lah, (Maps 2, 4,) rock, a city in Edom, probably the capital 
taken by Amaziah, King of Judah, and by him named Joktheel, (subdued of 
God,) 2 Kings xiv, 7; 2 Chron. xxv, 11, 12. It was afterward possessed by 
Moab, Isa. xvi, 1. In Judg. i, 36, 2 Chron. xxv, 12, and Obad. hi, Sela is 
designated by the term " rock." 

Sela is without doubt identical with the city of Petra, whose wonderful 
ruins are in the Wady Afousa, about two days' journey to the north of the 
Gulf of Akabah, and somewhat farther to the south of the Dead Sea. Petra 
was celebrated as the chief city of the Nabathseans in the fourth century B. C, 
and as a central station for the commerce of the East. Afterward it became 
the residence of the Arabian princes who bore the name of Aretas, and was 
subjected to the Roman power by Trajan. From Adrian it received the 
name of Adriana. 

The ruins lie in a narrow valley surrounded by lofty and, for the most 
part, perfectly precipitous mountains. A great many small recesses or side 
valleys open into the principal one, thus enlarging, as well as varying almost 
infinitely, the outline. These with one or two exceptions have no outlet, but 
come to a speedy and abrupt termination among the overhanging precipitous 
cliffs The whole circumference of Petra, including these irregularities, 
may be four miles or more. In one of the ravine-like valleys is a most 
wonderful structure, el-Khuzneh, probably formerly used as a temple, one of 
the wonders of the East. Its facade consists of " two rows of six columns over 
one another, with two statues between, with capitals and sculptured pedi- 
ments, the upper one of which is divided by a little round temple crowned 
with an urn." Behind this temple are seen other beautiful and varied fa- 
cades, leading to apartments in the cliffs. In a wider part of the valley, on 
its left side, is the magnificent Greek theater, entirely hewn out of the solid 
rock, one hundred and twenty feet in diameter at the base, with more than 



43C BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 




PETRA — LOOKING TOWARD THE THEATER. 

thirty rows of seats, in the native rock, red and purple alternately, and 
holding upward of three thousand spectators — surrounded by tombs, and 
overgrown in the sides with the wild fig-tree and the tamarisk. " Astound- 
ing and almost numberless excavations are every-where wrought in the 
front of the mountain, in its ravines and recesses, and even in the precipitous 
rocks around it, in many cases one rising over the other, and sometimes 
several hundred feet above the level of the valley, with steps cut in the solid 
rocks ; some widely conspicuous, others hidden in the most inaccessible 
cliffs. These excavations shine in all the magic of variegated, though not 
uniformly light, colors, equaling in softness those of flowers or of the 
plumage of birds, and exhibiting a gorgeous crimson, streaked with purple, 
and often intermixed, ribbon-like, with yellow and blue ; they are of the 
most various dimensions, and serve the most manifold purposes . . . The 
cloister (deir) at the north-western extremity of the cliffs . . .also hewn out 
of the rock, with a most splendid facade, and a vast urn on the summit, is 
accessible through a long and tortuous ravine, by a path five or six feet 
broad, and steps cut in the stone with immense exertion ; is surrounded by 
ruins, covered with inscriptions in the Sinaitic character, crosses, and fig- 
ures of the wild goat or ibex, indicating its sacred character ; but rather 
modern in effect." See Kitto ; Ayre; Kalisch's Commentary on Old Testament, 
Genesis, pp. 479, 480; also, specially, Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, pp. 88-92. 

Se'la-Ham'mahle'koth, cliff of escapes or of divisions, a rock in the wil- 
derness of Maon, the scene of one of those remarkable escapes which are so 
frequent in the history of Saul's pursuit of David, 1 Sam. xxiii, 28. Unknown. 

Seleu'cia, (classical, Seleuci'a,) (Maps 1, 8,) a town on the Mediterranean, 
about five miles north of the mouth of the Orontes, and sixteen west of 
Antioch, of which it was the port, 1 Mace, xi, 8 It also bore the name of 
Seleucia Pioria, from the neighboring Mount Pierus, and also Selencia ad 
Mare, in order to distinguish it from several other cities of the same name, 
all of them denominated from Seleucus Nicator. From this port Paul and 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 431 

Barnabas embarked for Cyprus, Acts xiii, 4. Some ruins of Seleucia are 
found by the modern village Kepse. 

Sena' ah, thorny, a place whose inhabitants returned in large numbers 
from captivity with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii, 35; Neh. vii,38. In Neh. iii, 3, 
the word occurs with the article — " has-Senaah." Unknown. 

Se'neh, thorn-rock, a rock in the pass of Michmash, 1 Sam. xiv, 4. The 
name may also signify "a tooth," and thus might have been applied on 
account of its pointed top. Several such pointed rocks or crags exist in 
this wild pass. 

Se'nir, coat of mail, or cataract, the Amorite name for Mount Hermon, 
1 Chron. v, 23 ; Ezek. xxvii, 5. Called also Shenir, Deut. iii, 9 ; Sol. Song 
iv, 9. See Hermon. 

Se'phar, (Maps 1, 8,) a numbering, census, a city or a "mountain of the 
east " which formed the eastern boundary of the Joktanites, Gen. x, 30. 
Its site is probably marked by Zafar or el-Beleed, in the province of Hadra- 
mawt, on the Indian Ocean. The extent of the ruins here attest the pros- 
perity of the ancient city. 

Seph'arad, separation, boundary (?). A region to which the exiles from 
Jerusalem were taken, Obad. xx. Among other conjectures some consider 
this locality as Spain ; others as Sparta ; and still others (with most proba- 
bility) as Sardis in Lydia. 

Seph'arva'im, the two Sipparas, (one being on each bank of the river,) 
a city of the Assyrian empire whence colonists were brought into the terri- 
tory of Israel, afterward called Samaria, 2 Kings xvii, 24; xviii, 34; xix, 13 ; 
Isa. xxxvi, 19; xxxvii, 13. Some locate it in Syria; but it is without 
doubt identical with the celebrated town of Sippara on the east bank of the 
Euphrates above Babylon, which was near the site of the modern Mosaib. 

Se'pharvites, 2 Kings xvii, 31. The inhabitants of Sepharvaim. 

Sephela, 1 Mace, xii, 38. The Greek form of the ancient word has- 
Shefeldh, which in our version is invariably treated as an appellative, and is 
rendered "vale," "valley," "plain," "low plains," "low country," Deut. 
i, 7; Josh, ix, 1 ; x, 40; xi, 2, 16; xii, 8; xv, 33; Judg. i, 9; 1 Kings x, 27; 
1 Chron. xxvii, 28 ; 2 Chron. i, 15 ; ix, 27 ; xxvi, 10 ; xxviii, 18 ; Jer. xvii, 26 ; 
xxxii, 44 ; xxxiii, 13 ; Obad. xix ; Zech. vii, 7. The Sephela was the low 
fertile district of Judah, lying between the central hill-country and the 
Mediterranean. The term Shephelah probably did not originally denote a 
plain, or, if it did, it was sometimes employed to signify not only the plain, 
but the hills by which it might be inclosed. Thus of the cities of the 
Shephelah enumerated in Josh, xv, 33-47, some are in the hilly region at 
the northern end of the plain, and some in the southern part of the hill- 
region. See Philistta. 

Shaalab'bin, city of foxes or jackals, a city of Dan, Josh, xix, 42 ; called 
also Shaalbim, Judg. i, 35 ; 1 Kings iv, 9. It lay on the hills not far from 
Ajalon. The inhabitants found great difficulty in dispossessing the Amorites ; 
but, being at length subdued, the city was included in one of King Solomon's 
commissariat districts. Its people were possibly called Shaalbonites, 2 Sam, 
xxiii, 32 ; 1 Chron. xi, 33. 

Shaara'im, two gates; barley (X). 

1. A city of Judah lying in the Shephelah, near Azekah, 1 Sam xvii, 52; 
called Sharaim in Josh, xv, 36. Mr. Grove says: " Not known, but probably 
West of Shuweikeh in Wady es-SumV 



432 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

« 

2. In Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 31. See Sharuhen and Shilhim. 

Shahaz'imah, heights, a border-place in Issaehar, apparently l»etween 
Tabor and the Jordan, Josh, xix, 22. 

Sha'lem, (Map 3,) safe, peaceful, Gen. xxxiii, 1 8. Some suppose this term 
to denote a city, and thus would identify it with the modern Salim, east 
of Nablas, (Shechem.) The best critics, however, prefer to translate tho 
word Shalem, " in peace ; " so that the passage would read " Jacob came in 
peace to the city of Shechem." 

Sha'lim, Land of, jackals\ region, 1 Sam. ix, 4. It may be the same as 
" the land of Shual," 1 Sam. xiii, 17 ; but neither is known. Conjecture 
places this tract a few miles north of Michmash. 

Shal'isha, Land of, a triad, triangular (region,) a district bordering on 
Mount Ephraim, (1 Sam. ix, 4,) in which possibly the city of Baal-Shalisha 
was situated, 2 Kings iv, 42. Easebius places this city fifteen Roman miles 
north of Diospolis, (Lydda.) 

Shal'lecheth, a casting down, one of the gates of the " House of Jehovah " 
leading to the "causeway of the ascent," 1 Chron. xxvi, 16. The causeway 
being still in existence, it is thought highly probable that this gate is iden- 
tical with the Bab Silsileh or Sinsleh, which enters the west wall of the Haram 
area about six hundred feet from the south-west corner. 

Shamir, a sharp point, a thorn. 1. A town in the mountains of Judah, 
Josh, xv, 48. Unknown. 

2. A place in Mount Ephraim where Tola lived and was buried, Judg. 
x, 1, 2. Unknown. 

Sha'pher, Mount, (Map 2,) mount of pleasantness, a station of the Israelites 
in the Arabian desert, Num. xxx, 23, 24. Unknown. 

Shar'aim. Josh, xv, 36. See Shaaraim. 

Shar'on, (Map 5,) even, the plain. In Acts ix, 35, Saron. The maritime 
lowland tract north of Jaffa (Joppa) extending to Caesarea, (whence it is 
frequently in Scripture coupled with Carmel,) and reaching from the central 
hills to the Mediterranean. It is the northern continuation of the Shephelah. 
See Sepiiela. It was fertile and well adapted to pasturage, 1 Chron. xxvii, 29 ; 
xxxiii, 9; xxxv, 2; Isa. lxv, 10; and celebrated for its roses, Sol. Song, 
ii, 1. Dr. Thomson, regarding the rose as a species of mallow, says, "I have 
seen thousands of Solomon's roses on Sharon." The prophet Isaiah, (xxxiii, 9,) 
in order to show the severity of God's vengeance, exclaims, " Sharon is like 
a wilderness." All travelers speak of " the luxuriance of its grass and the 
beauty of its flowers." 

In 1 Chron. v, 16, a Sharon is coupled with " Gilead in Bashan," east 
of the Jordan. Its location is difficult to ascertain. Mr. Stanley (in & and 
2\, App., § 7) thinks that Sharon may here be a synonym for " the Mishor " 
of Gilead and Bashan. 

Sharu'hen, pleasant dwelling-place, a city in Simeon, Josh, xix, 6. See 
Shaaraim (2) and Shilhim. 

Sha'veh, a plain. A valley, called also "the King's Dale," Gen. xiv, 17; 
compare 2 Sam. xviii, 18. See King's Dale. 

Sha'veh Kiriatha'im, plain of Kiriathaim, a plain or valley near the city 
of Kirjathaim in Moab, Gen. xiv, 5. Subsequently it belonged to Reuben, 
Num. xxxii, 37; Josh, xiii, 19. 

She'ba, (Map 12,) man (?), or red(?). 

1. A Cushite people, Gen. x, 7 ; 1 Chron. i, 9 See Seea. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 433 

2. An Arabian people, descendants of Keturah, Gen. xxv, 3 ; / Chron. 
l, 32. The same name also occurs in Isa. Ix, 6; Jer. vi, 20; Ezek. xxvii, 
22, 23; xxviii, 13; but it is uncertain which people is referred to in each 
case. See the following article. 

She'ba, (Map 12,) man (?), or red(1), a Shemite people, descendants of 
Joktan, mentioned genealogically in Gen. x, 28; 1 Chron. i, 22. They doubt- 
less inhabited the south of Arabia. The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King 
Solomon is recorded in 1 Kings x, 1-13 ; 2 Cliron. ix, 1-12; where it is said 
that " she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare 
spices, and very much gold, and precious stones." Reference to the same 
Sheba is made in Psa. lxxii, 15; and probably in Job vi, 19. The other 
passages which seem to refer to this Joktanite Sheba occur in Isa. bx, 6; 
Jer. vi, 20; Ezek. xxvii, 22, 23; xxxviii, 13; Matt, xii, 42; Luke xi, 31. 
The kingdom of Sheba embraced the greater part of the Yemen, or Arabia 
Felix. Its chief cities, and probably successive capitals, were Seba, San'd, 
(Uzal,) and Zafdr, (Sephar, which see.) Sheba was long regarded as the 
most southern country of the habitable earth ; it was very wealthy and luxu- 
rious, its commerce most extended, and its capital, Seba, (or Marib,) a splendid 
city. Difficulties occur in distinguishing the several tribes which bear the 
name of Sheba; but for an extended discussion of these the reader must 
consult larger works. 

She'ba, seven, or an oath, a city in the territory of Simeon, Josh, xix, 2. 
It occurs between Beersheba and Moladah. In Josh, xv, 26, a Shema is 
mentioned next to Moladah, which is probably identical with this Sheba. 
Gesenius suggests that the words in Josh, xix, 2, may be rendered " Beer- 
sheba, the town, with Sheba, the well ; " but, as Mr. Grove says, " this 
seems forced, and is, besides, inconsistent with the fact that the list is a list 
of 'cities.' " Lieut. Conder identifies it with Tell el Seb'a. 

She'bah, (Map 5,) seven, or an oath, (feminine,) the name of the well dug 
by Isaac's servants, and which gave its name to Beersheba, Gen. xxvi, 33. 
See Beersheba. 

She'bam, coolness, or fragrance, a town on the east of Jordan, Num. 
xxxii, 3. Not known. Perhaps the same as Shibmah and Sibmah, which 
see. 

Sheb'arim, breaches, ruins, a place or spot near Ai, to which the men of 
Ai chased the Israelites, Josh, vii, 5. Unknown. 

Shechem, (Map 5,) the shoulder-blade ; ridge of heights, a town of the 
Canaanites; called also Sichem, Gen. xii, 6; Sychar, John iv, 5; and Sychem, 
Acts vii, 16. From Vespasian it received the name of Neapolis, which it 
still retains in the Arabic form of Nablus. 

Shechem lay in the narrow valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, 
in Samaria, within the tribe of Ephraim, being distant from Jerusalem thirty- 
four miles north, and from Samaria seven miles south. See Josh, xx, 7 ; 
xxi, 20; 1 Kings xii, 25; Judg. ix, 7. 

Shechem was a very ancient place. It appears from Gen. xii, 6, at the 
time of Abraham's visit to the place, that the region, if not the city, was 
already in possession of the aboriginal race : " The Canaanite was then in 
the land." At the time of Jacob's arrival here, after his sojourn in Mesopo- 
tamia, Shechem was a Hivite city, of which Hamor, the father of Shechem, 
was the head man, Gen. xxxiii, 18, 19. At this time Jacob bought from this 
chieftain " the parcel of the field" which he afterward bequeathed as a 



£34 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



special patrimony to his son Joseph, Gen. xliii, 22; Josh, xxiv, 32: John 
iv, 5. The capture of Shechem and the massacre of all the male inhabitants 
by Simeon and Levi are recorded in Gen. xxxiv. Jacob condemned this 
bloody act, and reprobated it with his dying breath, Gen. xlix, 5-7. " The 
oak which was by Shechem," under which Abraham had worshiped, sur- 
vived to Jacob's time; and there Jacob buried the images which some of his 
family had brought with them from Padan-Aram. When Joseph came from 
Hebron to the neighborhood of Shechem and Dothan to look after the wel- 
fare of his brethren, he was seized and sold to the Ishmaelites, Gen. xxvii, 
12-28. It is an interesting coincidence that Joseph was also buried in She- 
chem, Josh, xxiv, 32. After the conquest of the land by the Hebrews 
Shechem fell to the lot of Ephraim, Josh, xx, 7 ; but it was assigned to the 
Lcvites, and became a city of refuge, Josh, xxi, 20, 21 ; 1 Chron. vi, 67; 
vii, 28. During the life-time of Joshua it became a center of union to the 
tribes, Josh, xxiv, 1, 25 ; probably because it was the nearest considerable 
town to the residence of that chief in Timnath-Serah. After the death of 
Gideon, Abimelech, his bastard son, induced the Shechemites to revolt from 
the Hebrew commonwealth and elect him as king, Judg. ix. In revenge for 
his expulsion, after a reign of three years, Abimelech destroyed the city, 
and, as an emblem of the fate to which he would consign it, sowed the ground 
with salt, Judg. ix, 34-45. It was soon restored, for we find that Rehoboam 
went thither to be inaugurated king ; it was there that, in consequence of 
his folly, the revolution broke out; and Shechem, fortified by Jeroboam, 
was at first the seat of the new monarchy, 1 Kings xii, 1-19, 25 ; 2 Chron. x. 

Ishmael slew men 
"from Shechem," 
Jer. xli, 5. After the 
return from captivity 
the city became the 
center of Samaritan 
worship. See Samar- 
itans; Gerizim. 
Jesus visited this 
place, and remained 
two days, preaching 
the word, while 
many believed on 
him, John iv, 5, 39- 
42. In Acts vii, 16, 
Stephen reminds his 
hearers that certain 
of the patriarchs were 
buried at Sychem. It 
is an interesting fact, 
in this connection, 
that Justin Martyi 
was born at Shechem. 
The modern town, 

which is called Nablous, or Ndbl&s, contains about eight thousand inhab it- 
ants, but not more than from fifteen to twenty Samaritan families. The 
streets are narrow ; the houses high, and, in general, well built, all of scono, 




VIEW IN NABLOUS. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 437 

with doraes upon the roofs, as at Jerusalem. The bazars are good, and well 
supplied. There are no ruins which can be called ancient in thia vicinity, 
but there are remains of a church of fine Byzantine architecture, and a hand- 
some arched gateway, both apparently of the time of the first Crusades. 
Through the whole extent of the main street a stream of clear water rushes 
down — a rare circumstance in the East. The celebrated MS. of the Samari- 
tan Pentateuch is found in Nablus, guarded with very great care. 

All travelers unite in admiration of the scenery about Nablus. Dean 
Stanley (S. and P., p. 230) says: " A valley, green with grass, gray with 
olives ; gardens sloping down on each side, fresh springs rushing down in all 
directions ; at the end a white town embosomed in all this verdure, lodged 
between the two high mountains, which extend on each side of the valley — 
that on the south, Gerizim ; that on the north, Ebal — this is the aspect of 
Nablus, the most beautiful, perhaps the only very beautiful spot in central 
Palestine." 

Nearly two miles to the east lies a small village, Baldta, where Joseph's 
tomb is believed to be ; (Josh, xxiv, 32 ; compare Gen. xlviii, 22 ;) and, at a 
little distance south-east, Jacob's well. This well is about seventy-five feet 
deep. It was one hundred and five feet deep at Maundrell's visit in 1G97. 
It is fast filling up with the stones cast in by travelers and others. The 
well is perfectly round, nine feet in diameter, excavated in the solid rock, 
with the sides hewn smooth and regular. Sometimes it contains a few feet 
of water; but at other times it is quite dry. The tomb "is a little square 
area inclosed by a white wall, and having a common Moslem tomb placed 
diagonally across the floor. . . . There is nothing about it to interest one, 
or to give evidence of antiquity; yet it is most probably genuine." — Porter's 
Hand-book, p. 327. But from a note on page 237 of Stanley's Sinai and 
Palestine it appears that a later Joseph is also commemorated in this 
sanctuary. 

She'chemites, a family of Gilead, of the tribe of Manasseh, descended 
from Shechem, Num. xxvi, 31. 

Sheep Gate, The, (Map 9,) one of the ancient gates of Jerusalem, Neh. 
iii, 1, 32; xii, 39. Its position is very uncertain. It probably stood between 
the tower of Meah (which see) and the Prison Gate to the north-east. 

Sheep Market, The, at Jerusalem, John v, 2. " Market " is sup- 
plied by the translators, and should probably be "gate," as in the fore- 
going. 

She'lanites, the descendants of Shelah, the youngest son of Judah by 
the daughter of Shuah, the Canaanite, Num. xxvi, 20. 

She'leph, drawn out, selected, a Joktanite tribe. Gen. x, 2G ; I Chron. i, 20. 
The} r probably inhabited the district of Sulaf or Sulafiyeh, in South Arabia. 

She'ma, rumor, a city in the extreme south of Judah, Josh, xv, 26, (com- 
pare Josh, xix, 2 ;) 1 Chron. ii, 43, 44. See Siieba. 

Shenj tooth, the place — probably a tooth-shaped rock or peak — between 
which and Mizpeli Samuel erected the stone called Ebenezer, to commemo- 
rate the conquest of the Philistines, and the restoration of the cities to the 
Israelites, 1 Sam. vii, 12. 

She'nir, coat of mail, or cataract, Deut. iii, 9 ; Sol. Song iv, 8. See Senir. 

She'pham, a bare region, spot bare of trees, a place on the eastern boundary 
of the Promised Land, the first landmark from Hatser-Enan, at which the 
northern boundary terminated, and lying between it and Riblah, Num. xxxiv, 



4:38 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

10, 11. Mr. Grove (in Smith) says: " Mr. Porter would fix Hatser-Enan at 
Kuryetein, seventy miles east-north-east of Damascus. . . . The writer 
ventures to disagree with this and similar attempts to enlarge the bounds 
of the Holy Land to an extent for which, in his opinion, there is no wan-ant 
in Scripture." 

Shephe'lah, The. See Sephela. 

She'shach, a symbolical name of Babylon, Jer. xxv, 26; li, 41. Its ety- 
mology and proper signification are doubtful. Von Bohlen thinks the word 
synonymous with the Persian "Shih-shah," ("house of the prince.'') Some 
critics think it is written on the cabalistic plan of putting the last letter of 
the alphabet for the first, the last but one for the second, etc. Thus 
Sheshach would become Babel or Babylon. According to Sir H. Rawlinson 
the name of the moon-god, which was identical, or nearly so, with that of 
the city of Abraham, Ur, (or Hur,) " might have been read in one of the an- 
cient dialects of Babylon as Shishdki," hence "a possible explanation of the 
Sheshach of Scripture." 

Shib'mah, fragrance, a town east of Jordan, in Reuben, Num. xxxii, 38. 
See Sibmah; Shebam. 

Shi'cron, drunkenness, a landmark of the north boundary of Judah, lying 
between Ekron and Jabneel, Josh, xv, 11. Unknown. 

Shi'hon, a ruin, a city in Issachar, Josh, xix, 19. Unknown. 

Shi'hor op Egypt, 1 Chron. xiii, 5. See Siiior. 

Shi hor-Lib'nath, Josh, xix, 26. One of the landmarks on the boundary 
of Asher. This is generally considered to be a river. As Libnath means 
" white," some interpret Shihor-Libnath as "glass river," which they natu- 
rally identify with the Belus of Pliny, the present Nahr Naman, (on whose 
banks glass was first made,) whicli enters the Mediterranean a short dis- 
tance below Akka. Mr. Grove and others think it was not a river at all, 
and that, if a river, the Naman is too far north. Mr. Porter says : " Perhaps 
the sacred writer may have given this name to some little town upon the 
banks of one of the streamlets which fall into the Mediterranean between 
Carmel and Dor. The sand there is white and glistening." 

Shil'him, armed men. A city in the southern part of Judah, Josh, xv, 32. 
See Sharuhen ; Shuaraim. Wilton would connect the word with the" idea 
of waters sent or flowing forth, and he thinks that some ruins now styled 
Khirbet es-Serdm, close to el-Birein, may probably mark the site. 

Shilo'ah, The Waters op, Isa. viii, 6. See Siloah ; Siloam. 

Shiloh, (Map 5,) place of rest, peace, a city in Ephraim, lying among the 
hills to the north of Bethel, and eastward of the great northern road. Here 
the tabernacle was set up, Josh, x viii, 1; Judg. xxi, 19. To this fact Shiloh 
owed all its importance, and thus it was the ecclesiastical center where 
solemn assemblies were held and theocratic acts performed, Josh, xviii, 8-10; 
xix, 51; xxi, 2; xxii, 12; not, however, to the exclusion of other places, 
Josh, xxiv, 1, 25, 26. Here remained the tabernacle and the ark from the 
days of Joshua, during the ministry of all the judges, down to the end of 
Eli's life, Judg. xx, 18, 26, 27; 1 Sam. i, 3, 9, 24; ii, 14; iii, 21; iv, 3, 4, 12; 
1 Kings ii, 27. After the ark was taken from Shiloh by the Philistines it 
was never returned, and the city is seldom noticed. The tabernacle itself 
was removed from Shiloh, and Jerusalem became ultimately the Lord's 
chosen city, 2 Chron. i, 3, 4. The ark was sometimes with the army, 1 Sam. 
xiv, 18; but its resting place was awhile with Abinadab at Kirjath-Jearim, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 439 

1 Sam. vii, 1, 2. Ahijah the prophet resided at Shiloh; but for the idolatry 
of Israel this once-favored city was forsaken and brought to ruin, Psa. 
Ixxxviii, 60; Jer. vii, 12, 14; xxvi, 6, 9; xii, 5. This last reference shows 
that it survived the exile. 

The place of Shiloh was completely forgotten from the time of Jerome till 
the year 1838. Its present name is Seilun. " Its ruins are scattered over 
a slight eminence which rises in one of those softer and wider plains . . . 
noticed as characteristic of this part of Palestine — a little removed from the 
great central route of the country — its antiquity marked by the ruins of the 
ancient well, probably the very one by which the ' daughters of Shiloh ' 
danced in the yearly festival, (Judg. xxi, 19, 21, 23,) when the remnant of 
the neighboring tribe of Benjamin descended from their hills to carry them 
off, and also by the approach from the East through a valley of rock-hewn 
sepulchers, some of which, in all probability, must have been the last resting- 
place of the unfortunate house of Eli. Its selection as the sanctuary may 
partly have arisen from its comparative seclusion, still more from its central 
situation." — Stanley. 

Shi'lonite. 1. A native or inhabitant of Shiloh, 1 Kings xi, 29 ; xii, 15 ; 
xv, 29; 2 Chron. ix, 29; x, 15. 2. The word is used to designate the de- 
scendants of Shelah, (1 Chron. ix, 5,) otherwise called Shelanites. 

Shim'eathites, a family dwelling at Jabez, who seem to be reckoned 
among the Kenites, 1 Chron. ii, 55. 

Shim'ron, watch-post, one of the ancient cities of Canaan, whose king 
joined with Jabin, King of Hazor, in the attempt to resist the conquests of 
.Joshua, Josh, xi, 1; xix, 15. It is possibly identical with Simfiniyeh, be- 
tween Bethlehem and Nazareth. The Shimron-Meron of Josh, xii, 20, is 
probably the same with Shimron. 

Shim'ron-Me'ron. Josh, xii, 20. See Shdiron. 

Shi'nar, (Maps 1, 8,) casting out (?), country of two rivers (?), the district of 
country between the Euphrates and Tigris, in which were the cities of Babel, 
(Babylon,) Erech, (Orchoe,) Calneh, (probably Niffer,) and Accad, Gen. x, 10. 
It was a plain country where " they had brick for stone, and slime [mud (?), 
bitumen (?)] used they for mortar," Gen. xi, 2, 3. See also Gen. xiv, 1, 9; Isa. 
xi, 11; Dan. i, 2; Zech. v, 11. In later times this tract was known as 
Chaldea or Babylonia. 

Shit'tim, acacias. 

1. A tract of acacias in the Jordan Valley opposite Jericho, the place 
where the Israelites encamped for the last time before they crossed the 
river, Num. xxv, 1 ; compare Mic. vi, 5 ; Deut. xxxii, 49. From this place 
Joshua sent spies to spy the land as far as Jericho, Josh, ii, 1. See Abel- 
Shittui. 

2. The " Valley of Shittim" mentioned in Joel iii, 18, was probably west 
of the Jordan, possibly near to Jerusalem. The reference may simply mean 
that some dry valley (such as acacias thrive in) shall become well watered. 

Sho'a, opulent, apparently a district of Assyria, Ezek. xxiii, 23. Some 
critics explain the word as an appellative used to signify the wealth of the 
Babylonians. See Koa; Pekod. 

Sho'cho, 2 Chron. xxviii, 18; Sho'choh, 1 Sam. xvii, 1 ; Sho'co, 2 Chron. 
xi, 7. See Socoii. 

Sho'phan, a town in Gad, Num. xxxii, 35. Probably this word is simply 
an affix to the preceding word. See Atrotil 



440 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY 

Shu'al, a fox or jackal; hollow land(1). Of the Philistine spoilers who went 
forth from the garrison at Miehmash it is said, " One company turned unto 
the way of Ophrah, unto the land of Shual," 1 Sam. xiii, 17. If Ophrah lay, 
as has been suggested, about six miles north-east of Bethel, Shual was prob- 
ably in the same region. But nothing is known concerning it. See Shalim. 

Shu'hite, fiom Shuah, a pit. A descendant of Shuah, a son of Abraham 
by Keturah, Job ii, 11; viii, 1; xviii, 1; xxv, 1; xlii, 9. The Shuhites are 
probably (but not certainly) identical with the Tsukhi, a powerful people loca- 
ted in the Assyrian inscriptions above Hit and on both sides of the Euphrates. 

Shu'nem, two resting-places, a town in Issachar, where the Philistines 
encamped before Saul's last battle, Josh, xix, 18 ; 1 Sam. xxviii, 4. Abishag, 
David's last wife, belonged to Shunem, 1 Kings i, 3 ; and " the Shunammite 
woman " with whom Elisha lodged, 2 Kings iv, 8-37 ; viii, 1-6. It is identi- 
fied with Solam, three miles north of Jezreel, on the south-west flank of Jebel 
Duhy, (Little Hermon,) in the midst of rich grain fields. No ruins are found. 

Shur, (Maps 1, 2,) a fort or wall, a place apparently east of the Red Sea 
and not far from it, Gen. xvi, 7 ; xxi, 1 ; xxv, 18 ; 1 Sam. xv, 7 ; xxvii, 8. 
The desert extending from the borders of Palestine to Shur is called in Exod. 
xv, 22, the " wilderness of Shur," but in Num. xxxiii, 8, the " wilderness 
of Etham." The latter is a part of the former. Shur (the station) is proba- 
bly identical with 'Ayun Musa, (Moses' Wells.) two hours from Suez. Erom 
Ayun Musa an unbroken desert plain extends a three days' journey to Mm 
Ilawwarah, (see Marah.) The mountains Er Rahah and Et-Tih, forming a 
"long wall-like escarpment," doubtless gave to Shur its name — a wall. 

Shu'shan, (Maps 1, 8, 14,) a lily, called by the Greeks Susa ; a very 
celebrated city in the province of Elam or Elymais, a portion of the ancient 
Susiana, or Cissia. It lay on the banks of the river Choaspes. Susa was 
one of the most important cities of the East ; its foundation is thought to date 
from a time anterior to Chedorlaomer, as the remains found on the site have 
often a character of very high antiquity. It seems to have been taken by 
Asshur-Bani-Pal, who filled the Assyrian throne about 650 B. C. Next wo 
find Susa possessed by the Babylonians, to whom Elam had probably passed 
at the division of the Assyrian Empire made by Cyaxares and Nabopolassar. 
In Belshazzar's last year (B. C. 538) Daniel, while still a Babylonian subject, 
was there on the king's business, and " at Shushan in the palace " had his 
famous vision of the ram and he-goat, Dan. viii, 1, 2, 27. After the con- 
quest of Babylon by Cyrus, Susa was transferred to the Persian dominion, 
and it was not long before the city became the capital of the whole empire. 
It was then the chief residence of the kings during part of the year. It 
seems probable that this transfer of the capital was effected by Darius 
Kystaspis, who is found to have been the originator of the great palace 
there — the building so graphically described in Esther i, 5, 6. It was at 
Shushan, during the reign of Ahasuerus, that most of the events recorded in 
the book of Esther occurred. This king is now generally believed to have 
been identical with Xerxes. Susa retained its pre-eminence until the 
Macedonian conquest. Here Alexander the Great, after the battle of Arbela, 
found vast wealth — above twelve millions sterling, and all the regalia of 
the great king. Alexander's preference for Babylon caused the decline of 
Susa, and it was never again made the capital city. Antigonus conquered 
it B. 0. 315, and obtained about three million and a half sterling. In B. C. 
221 Susa was attacked by Molo in his rebellion against Antiochus the Great; 



BIBLE GFOGRAPHY. Ml 

he took the tcwi:, but failed to capture the citadeL In the Arabian conquest 
of Persia the city was bravely defended by Hormuzan. Being captured by 
the Mohammedans, 640 A. D., it soon fell into ruins, and its site was. for a 
long period uncertain. 

The best geographers now unite in identifying Shushan with the modern 
Sits or Shush, a mass of ruins or mounds lying between the Shapur and the 
river of Dizful. According to Mr. Loftus, ( Chaldcea and Susiana :) " The prin- 
cipal existing remains consist of four spacious artificial platforms, distinctly 
separate from each other. Of these the western mound is the smallest in 
superficial extent, but considerably the most lofty and important. ... Its 
highest point is one hundred and niaeteen feet above the level of the 
Shaour, (Shapur.) It is apparently constructed of earth, gravel, and 
Bun-dried brick, sections being exposed in numerous ravines produced by 
the rains of winter. The measurement round the summit is about two 
thousand eight hundred and fifty feet. In the center is a deep circulai 
depression, probably a large court, surrounded by elevated piles of buildings, 
the fall of which has given the present transfiguration to the surface. Here 
and there are . . . traces of brick walls, which show that the recent elevation 
of the mound has been attained by much subsequent superposition." This 
writer supposes this mound to mark the site of the famous citadel of Susa, 
so often mentioned by ancient writers. At the foot of the mounds is the 
so-called tomb of Daniel. 

Farther to the east are other ruins, probably of the mass of the city, sink- 
ing gradually to the level of the plain. Excavations have been made in a 
large square mound to the north which disclose the remains of an immense 
structure believed to be the magnificent palace erected by Darius Hystaspis 
and his successors. No traces are found of the walls of Shushan. Wild 
beasts and game abound, and the whole place is but a gloomy wilderness. 

Sib'mah, coolness or fragrance, sl town on the east of the Jordan assigned 
to the Reubenites, by whom it was built or fortified, Josh, xiii, 19. It is 
called also Shebam and Shibmah, Num. xxxii, 3, 38. During the main part 
of Jewish history, Sibmah, like most of the trans- Jordanic places, disappears. 
But we hear of it again in the prophets' lament over Moab, Isa. xvi, 8, 9 ; 
Jer. xlviii, 32. It was then a Moabite town, famous for the abundance and 
excellence of its grapes. 

Jerome states that Sibmah was very near to Heshbon, and one of the 
very strong cities of that region. Its site is unknown, but De Saulcy found 
several nameless ruins in the vicinity of Heshbon. 

Sib'raim, twofold hope, one of the landmarks on the northern boundary 
of the Holy Land, Ezek. xlvii, 16. Unknown. 

Si'chem, Gen. xiv, 6. See Shechem. 

Si'cyon, a city lying on the north coast of the Peloponnesus, to the west 
of Corinth, and capital of the small State, Sicyonia, 1 Mace, xv, 23. 

Sid'dim, The Vale of, (Map 3.) Siddim is variously interpreted : " the 
valley of the fields," "a valley filled with rocks and pits," "a plain cut up 
by stony channels, difficult of transit." The location of the vale is even more 
a subject of doubt than the meaning of the name. It " was full of slime pits," 
(Hebrew, " wells, wells of bitumen,") Gen. xiv, 10. It was the battle-field in 
which the King of Sodom and his allies were vanquished, Gen. xiv, 3, 8, 10. 
Probably (although it is not stated) Sodom and Gomorrah lay in this vale. 
The almost universally received opinion has hitherto been that the valo of 

21 



442 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Siddim was identical with the present southern end of the Dead Sea, below 
the peninsula, and that the vale was submerged when "the Lord rained 
upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of 
heaven," Gen. xix, 24. Recent geological investigations along the shores 
of the sea have led some eminent scholars to discredit this theory. They 
think it highly probable that both the vale and the " cities of the plain " lay 
to the north-west or north of the Dead Sea. Scholars of equal note, however, 
still maintain that the vale lay south of the sea, that it was sub- 
merged, and that scientific research goes far to establish this view. Seo 
Gomorrah ; Sodom ; Zoar ; and especially Sea, Salt. 

Si'de, a place mentioned in 1 Mace, xv, 23, among the list of places to 
which the Roman Senate sent letters in favor of the Jews. It lay on the 
coast of Pamphylia, and was a city of importance, the ruins of which attest 
its former wealth. Its present name is Esky Adalia. 

Si' don, Gen. x, 15, 19; Acts xxvii, 3, etc. See Zidon. 

Sido'nians, Josh, xiii, 4, 6 ; Judg. iii, 3 ; 1 Kings v, 6. See Zipon. 

Si'hor, (Maps 1, 2, 12;) accurately Shi'hor, once The Shihor, black, turbid 
river. [See Nile.] Sihor is one of the terms employed in Scripture to des- 
ignate the great river of Egypt, the Nile, Isa. xxiii, 3; Jer. ii, 18; though 
it sometimes denotes the smaller "river of Egypt," the modern Wady el- 
Arish, which is the south-western boundary of Canaan, Josh, xiii, 3 ; 1 Chron. 
xiii, 5. The Nile is often referred to in the Bible by other terms, as follows : 

"Yeor," an Egyptian word translated "river" and "flood," which almost 
always, when in the singular number, denotes the Nile ; for example, in Gen. 
xii, 1; Exod. i, 22; ii, 3; vii, 1, 15, 18; Isa. xxiii, 3; Amos viii, 8. In 
Dan. xii, 5, 6, 7, this word designates some other river, possibly the Tigris 
or the Ulai. In the plural, as " brooks of defense," "rivers," "streams," it 
is always used for the canals of the Nile; Exod. vii, 19; viii, 5; 1 Kings 
xix, 24; Job xxviii, 10; Psa. lxxviii, 44; Isa. vii, 18; xxxiii, 21; xxxvii, 25; 
Ezek. xxix, 3, 4, etc. Mr. Poole (in Smith's Dictionary, art. Sihor) questions 
the common interpretation of " Yeor," and suggests it to be the extension of 
the Red Sea. The " River of Egypt " in Gen. xv, 18, is doubtless the Nile. This 
term also signifies the Wady el- Arish. See River op Egypt. The " Rivers 
of Ethiopia " in Isa. xviii, 1, must be the tributaries of the Nile in the upper 
part of its course. The Egyptians called this river Hapi-Mu, "the genius 
of the waters." The main stream is the White Nile, (Bahr-el-Abyad.) At 
Khartoom it is joined by the Blue Nile, (Bahr-el-Azrak,) which rises in the 
mountains of Abyssinia, and brings down a large quantity of alluvial soil. 
The Atbara, {black river,) which also rises in Abyssinia, joins the Nile at the 
north point of the island of Meroe. The river flows down over rapids or 
cataracts, and, entering Egypt, is divided a short distance below Cairo into 
several branches, which water what is known as the Delta and empty into 
the Mediterranean. The ancients mention seven of these branches : hence 
for ages the river was known as the " seven-mouthed Nile." 

The allusions to the Nile are very frequent in Scripture. It was by this 
"river's brink" that Moses was laid in the "ark of bulrushes," Exod. ii, 3. 
The waters of the river were generally drank by the Egyptians, and consid- 
ered peculiarly delicious; on this account the plague of turning the water 
;nto blood must have been especially grievous, Exod. vii, 20, 21. The 
destruction of the fish of the Nile (Psa. civ, 29) was also a severe visita- 
tion, as is indicated by the Israelites in their murmuring in the wilderness, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 445 

Num. xi, 5. The prophet denounced judgments against Pharaoh, " the great 
dragon that lieth in the midst of his livers," Ezek. xxix, 3. Reference is here 
made to the crocodile. Various allusions are* made also to the inundations 
of the Nile, Jer. xlvi, 7, 8 ; Amos viii, 8 ; ix, 5. The Nile is referred to when 
the prophet warns Nineveh by the ruins of Thebes, (No-Amon,) Nah. iii, 8. 

No mention is made of the Nile in the New Testament ; but possibly our 
Lord in his childhood dwelt by its banks. Tradition says that when Jesus 
was brought into Egypt his mother came to Heliopolis. See On. 

The great annual phenomenon of the Nile is the inundation, the failure 
of which produces a famine ; for Egypt is virtually without rain, Zech. xiv, 
17, 18. The modern Arabic name is Bahr-en-Neel, "the river Nile." The 
Egyptians call it Bahr, or "the river; " and the inundation they call En-Neel, 
or " the Nile." 

From the time of Herodotus, the first great African traveler, in the fifth cen- 
tury before Christ, the source of the Nile has been sought from time to time 
with boundless zeal and toil. Among others, "Nero, early in his reign, sent 
a remarkable exploring party under two centurions, with military force. . . . 
Assisted by an Ethiopian sovereign, (Candace, no doubt,) they went through 
the district now known as Upper Nubia, to a distance of 890 Roman miles 
from Meroe. . . . After this Pliny, Strabo, and other Roman authors took no- 
tice of this portion of Africa, but without giving us any thing important or 
new." — H. M. Stanley. The more distinguished modern explorers have been 
Burton, Speke, Grant, Livingstone, and Stanley. On the 30th of July, 1858, 
Captain Speke discovered the Victoria Nyanza, claiming it as the fountain of 
the Nile. Four years later, at the close of his second expedition, he thus 
wri es: "I saw that old Father Nile without any doubt rises in the Victoria 
Nyanza, and as I had foretold that lake is the great source of the holy river." 
In 1871-74 M. Stanley made a thorough exploration of Equatorial Africa, 
fully corroborating Capt. Speke's hypothesis. Stanley says : " Is the Victoria 
Nyanza one lake, or does it consist of five lakes, as reported by Livingstone, 
Burton, and others? This problem has been satisfactorily solved, aud Speke 
has now the full glory of having discovered the largest inland sea on the con- 
tinent of Africa, also its principal affluent, as well as the outlet." Speke's 
hypothetic sketch made this lake 29,000 square miles in extent. Stanley's 
survey has reduced it to 21,500 square miles, with a mean level above the sea 
of 4,168 feet. " How steamers afloat on the lake might cause Ururi to shake 
hands with Usongora, and Uganda with Usukuma, make the wild Wavuma 
friends with the "Wazinza, and unite the Wakerewe with the Waganal " 

Sil'la, twig, basket, the scene of the murder of King Joash, 2 Kings xii, 20. 
It seems to have been in the valley below Mount Zion. 

Silo' ah, The Pool of, that is, of Shelach, (dart,) Neh. iii, 15. See Siloam. 

Silo'am, (Maps 7, 10,) or Shilo'ah, sent, a sending, (as of water.) 

1. A pool of water near Jerusalem. In Isa. viii, 6, it is spoken of as 
running "waters; " in Neh. iii, 15, (Siloah,) and John ix, 7-11, as a "pool." 
These passages (the only ones in which the word is used as referring to 
water) give us no clue to the situation of the pool. Josephus, however, 
who frequently mentions it as a fountain, tells us that it was at the termi- 
nation or mouth of the Tyropoeon. 

Siloam is still called by the Arabs Sihvdn. It is a mere suburban tank or 
reservoir. Its length, according to Robinson, is fifty-three feet, its width 
eighteen feet, with a depth of nineteen feet. The western end is partly 



446 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

broken away. " The masonry is modern ; but along the side are six shafts 
of limestone, of moro ancient date, projecting slightly from the wall, and 
probably originally intended to sustain a roof." — Porter. This reservoir is 
supplied by an aqueduct with water from a higher source. Subterranean 
channels have been discovered leading from the city to the fountain of the 
Virgin, (Map 10,) and thence to the Pool of Siloam. Drs. Robinson and 
Barclay explored the passage between these two fountains, "sometimes 
walking erect, sometimes kneeling, and sometimes crawling." According to 
Robinson this rocky conduit, which twists considerably, is seventeen hun- 
dred and fifty feet long. Dr. Barclay, who traced one of the other passages 
(leading into this one) up near the Mugrabin gate, where it became so choked 
with rubbish that it could be traversed no further, says of it: "I there found 
it turn to the west, in the direction of the south end of the cleft or saddle 
of Zion ; and if this channel was not constructed for the purpose of convey- 
ing to Siloam the surplus waters of Hezekiah's aqueduct, [2 Chron. xxxii, 
3, 4,] I am unable to suggest any purpose to which it could have been ap- 
plied." — City of the Great King. 

The waters of the "pool" sometimes manifest a kind of ebb and flow, 
varying with the season and the supply. See Ophel ; Jerusalem. 

2. Mention is made in Luke xiii, 4, of a tower " in Siloam." Historians 
give us no account of the tower or its fall. It cannot be determined whether 
it was some fortification near the pool, or whether "in Siloam" refers to the 
district in the vicinity of the pool. A village now exists east of the Kidron 
which takes its name from the pool — Kefr-Silwdn : this may be the place of 
the tower. The village is not mentioned in ancient times. It is a filthy 
place, with square hovels huddled together " like the lairs of wild beasts," 
and " inhabited by a tribe as mean and repulsive as their dwellings." That 
part of the Mount of Olives on which Silwan stands may probably mark the 
site of the idol-shrines built by Solomon to Chemosh, Ashtoreth, and Milcom. 
This was the "Mount of Corruption," 2 Kings xxiii, 13, the hill that was 
before (east of) Jerusalem, 1 Kings xi, 7. But the tradition which makes 
this identification is of recent date. 

Simeon, (Map 5,) a hearkening, one of the tribes of Israel, descended 
from Simeon, the second son of Jacob, by Leah, Gen. xxix, 33. At the time 
of the exodus the tribe numbered 59,300 able-bodied men, Num. i, 23 ; but 
before entering Palestine it was reduced to 22,200, Num. xxvi, 14. This 
immense decrease reduced Simeon from the third rank to the lowest of all 
in point of numbers. The decrease was doubtless caused by the visitation 
of the Divine displeasure, probably for crimes committed in the wilderness. 
See, for example, Num. xxv, 6-8, 14. On the journey this tribe marched 
and encamped under the standard of Reuben, south of the tabernacle, Num. 
ii, 12; x, 18, 19. 

The assignment of Simeon in the Promised Land was " within the inherit- 
ance of the children of Judah," seventeen cities in the south of Palestine 
spread round the venerable well of Beersheba, Josh, xix, 1-9 ; 1 Chron. iv, 
28-33. With Judah's help the Simeonites gained possession of these places, 
Judg. i, 3, 17 ; and here they were found, doubtless, by Joab in the reign of 
David, 1 Chron. iv, 31. At David's installation at Hebron, 7,100 Simeonite 
warriors were present, 1 Chron. xii, 23-37. The tribe was not able to hold 
all its towns. Hormah and Beersheba, noted as belonging to it, were 
afterward possessed by Judah, 1 Sam. xxx, 30 ; 1 Kings xix, 3. Ziklag be- 



BIBLE GEOGKAPHY. 449 

came first a Philistine, then a Judean, city, 1 Sam. xxvii, 6; and subse- 
quently the Simeonites seem to have been well nigh absorbed in Judah, 
2 Chron. xv, 9. The warlike spirit of their progenitor seemed to revive in 
the tribe, when, rousing themselves, they went forth in two expeditions in 
search of more eligible territory, 1 Chron. iv, 34-43. In the second expedi- 
tion, which was against the Amalekites, they were successful, and took pos- 
session of the quarters of the remnant of Amalek in the distant fastnesses 
of Mount Seir. Simeon is mentioned in the catalogues of the restoration 
after the captivity, Ezek. xlviii, 24, 25 ; Rev. vii, 7. (Compare Judith 
vi, 15; ix, 2.) 

Simeonites. Num. xxv, 14 ; xxvi, 14 ; 1 Chron. xxvii, 1 6. See Simeon. 

Sin, (Map 2,) mire, clay, a city of Egypt, called by the Greeks Pelusium. 
It is mentioned in Ezek. xxx, 15, 16, as "Sin, the stronghold of Egypt." 
Pelusium was anciently a place of great importance. It lay among the 
swamps and morasses on the most easterly estuary of the Nile, and stood 
about two or three miles from the sea. The site is now approachable only 
by boats during a high Nile, or by land when the summer sun has dried the 
mud left by the inundation. Some ruins, consisting of mounds and a few 
fallen columns, at et-Tineh or el- Forma, are generally supposed to mark the 
site, but the identification cannot be wholly established. 

Sin, Wilderness of, (Map 2,) between the " Red Sea " and Rephidim or 
Pophkah, Exod. xvi, 1; xvii, 1; Num. xxxiii, 11, 12. Here the manna was 
first gathered. It is probably the narrow strip of desert which fringes 
the coast south of Wady Taiyebth. (See Palmer's Desert of the Exodus, 
pp. 274, 275.) 

Si'na, Mount, Judith vii, 14; Acts vii, 30, 38. The Greek form of Sinai 

Si'nai, (Map 2,) bush of the Lord, the mountain from which the law was given. 
This name seems to have been nearly supplanted bj Horeb after the forty 
years' wandering; compare Exod. xx, with Deut. v; Exod. xix, 16-19, with 
Deut. iv, 10-13. The mention of Horeb in later books, as in 1 Kings viii, 9, 
and xix, 8, seems to show that it had then become the designation of the 
mountain and region generally. Yet later, as in Neh. ix, 13, reference is 
still made to Sinai. Horeb may have been the name of the mountain group, 
while Sinai denoted a single peak. The Sinaitic mountains lie nearly in the 
center of the peninsula which is embraced between the two arms of the Red 
Sea, Exod. xvi, 1 ; Deut. i, 2. 

The Israelites encamped before Sinai, and "Moses went up unto God," 
Exod. xix, 1, 2, 3, 20. Here God spake all the words of the law amid " the 
thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the 
mountain smoking," Exod. xx, 1-18. Moses ascended the mount again, 
taking unto him " Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of 
Israel," Exod. xxiv, 1, 2, 9-11. Moses and Joshua also went up, Exod. 
xxiv, 12, 13, 15, 18; xxxii, 15, 17. Again Moses went alone "early in the 
morning" to the mount, Exod. xxxiv, 2, 4, and was vouchsafed that won- 
derful revelation in the covenant of the Almighty, as recorded in Exod. 
xxxiv, 5-27. Moses remained "there with the Lord forty days and forty 
nights," and when he came down " his face shone, and they wore afraid 
to come nigh him," Exod. xxxiv, 29-31. The people were forbidden to 
approach the mount, or even to "touch the border of it," Exod. xix, 12, 
13, 21-24; xxxiv, 3; Heb. xii, 20. The clouds, darkness, lightnings, and 
thunders on Sinai are frequently alluded to, Exod. xix, 9, 16-19; xx, 18, 



450 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

xxiv, 15-17; Deut. xxxiii, 2; Judg. v, 5; Psa. lxviii, 8, 17; Heb. xii, 18-21; 
(Horeb) Deut. iv, 10-13, 33, 36; v, 4. The giving of the law on Sinai is 
referred to in various parts of the Scriptures, Exod. xx, 31, 18 ; Lev. vii, 38 ; 
xxv, 1; xxvi, 46; xxvii, 34; "Num. hi, 1; xxviii, 6; Neh. ix, 13; Acts vii, 
30, 38; (Horeb) Deut. iv, 15; v, 2-6; xxix, 1; 1 Kings viii, 9; Mai. iv, 4. 

Horeb was called the mountain of God, and there, in a burning bush, 
Moses saw the angel of the Lord when God called to him and declared that 
he should deliver Israel from Egypt, Exod. iii, 1-10. It was from a smitten 
rock in Horeb that water miraculously flowed, Exod. xvii, 6. On Horeb 
also the Israelites worshiped the golden calf, Exod. xxxiii, 6 ; Deut. ix, 8. 
Elijah fled to Horeb when threatened by Jezebel, 1 Kings xix, 8. 

As to which is the particular peak of this mountain region whereon the 
Lord " descended in fire," while the people " stood at the nether part of the 
mount," much difference of opinion exists. There are three claimants for 
the name of Sinai. 1, Mount Serial, 6,720 feet high. Of this Mr. Porter (in 
Kitto) says : " The nature of the country around Serial is sufficient of itself 
to show that it could not possibly have been Sinai. . . . Wady Alydt, which 
leads up to Serial, is narrow, rugged, and rocky, affording no place for a 
large camp, . . . and, as there is no other valley or plain at the base of the 
mountain, it follows that Serial cannot be Sinai." 2. Jelel Musa (Mount of 
Moses) is the Sinai of recent ecclesiastical tradition. Its height is about 
7,363 feet. It presents some strong claims, according to a few modern 
travelers. It lies in the very center of the mountain group, " but it is neither 
so lofty nor so commanding as some of the peaks around it." Moreover, as 
in the case of Serial, above, there is no spot sufficiently extensive for the 
people to encamp upon. Of the spot claimed for the camping place, Wady 
es Selayeh, Mr. Stanley (Sinai and Palestine, p. 76) says: "It is rough, un- 
even, narrow . . . the mountain never descends upon the plain." 3. Ras 
es-Sufsdfeh, 6,830 feet, the highest point of a range of magnificent cliffs, on 
the north-western point of the ridge of which Jelel Musa is the south- 
eastern. This peak overlooks the plain of er-Rdhah, measuring more than 
two miles in length, and ranging from one third to two thirds of a mile in 
breadth. Travelers give graphic accounts of the view from the peak in 
question. Dean Stanley says: "The effect on us, as on every one who has 
seen and described it, was instantaneous. It was like the seat on the top 
of Serial, but with the difference that here was the deep, wide, yellow plain 
sweeping down to the very base of the cliffs, exactly answering to the plain 
on which the people 'removed and stood afar off.'" Dr. Durbin (Olserva- 
tions in the East) says: "When we . . . cast our eyes over the plain we 
were more than repaid for all our toil. One glance was enough. We were 
satisfied that here and here only could the wondrous displays of Sinai have 
been visible to the assembled hosts of Israel; that here the Lord spoke with 
Moses ; that here was the mount that trembled and smoked in the presence 
of its manifested Creator ! " 

The explorations by Prof. Palmer (1868-1869) are the most valuable of 
any that have been made. Of the rival mountains, Jebel Musa and Serbal, 
a special survey was made on a scale of six inches to the mile. Palmer 
claims Ras Sufsdfeh to be " Mount Sinai itself, the very mountain, in all prob- 
ability, upon which 'the glory of the Lord rested in the sight of all the 
people.' A stately, awful-looking, isolated mass it is, rearing its giant brow 
above the plain. ... At the base of the bluff is a long semicircular mound, 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 453 

forming a sort of amphitheater, from which a select x>ngregation of elders 
might obtain a nearer view of the mountain. The full proportions of the 
Ras Sufsafeh are best seen from the approach by the great plain of Er Ra- 
hah." — Desert of the Exodus. Palmer holds that Jebel Musa was probably 
the scene of the delivery of the law to Moses, while from Sufsafeh the law 
was proclaimed to the people. He says: "This indeed seems almost implied 
in the words of the Bible. . . . [See Exod. xix, 20.] First, there is the awfnl 
descent of the Lord in thunder and fire upon the mountain in the sight of 
the assembled host; then Moses is called up to the secluded summit to re- 
ceive the words of the law from God's own mouth, and again he is sent down 
to proclaim them to the people." A calculation made by Captain Palmer, 
from measurements taken on the spot, proves that the plain of Er Rahah, in 
"the space extending from the base of the mountain to the water-shed or 
crest of the plain, is large enough to have accommodated . . . two million 
souls, with an allowance of a square yard for each individual." 

In the wild ravine under the northern brow of Sinai exists the famous 
Convent of Mount Sinai. Tradition ascribes its erection to the piety of the 
Emperor Justinian, A. D. 527. The walls exhibit the motley patchwork of 
various ages from that period till the time of Napoleon. The space inclosed 
is cut up into a number of little courts and passages, bewildering in their 
irregularity. Mr. Porter {Hand-book, p. 27) says of the convent : "A day 
may be well spent in wandering amid the labyrinth of buildings, viewing the 
curiosities of the old church and its chapels, visiting the tomb and relics of 
the patron saint, contemplating the grim horrors of the charnel-house, and 
lounging beneath the delicious shade of garden bowers; such a day's com- 
parative rest, too, prepares one for the fatiguing excursions to the Mountain 
of the Law, and the various spots of interest round it." It was in the library 
of this convent that Tischendorf discovered the now very celebrated Codex 
Sinaiticus, the only complete uncial MS. of the New Testament we possess, 
and one of the oldest and most valuable. Other manuscripts are within tbe 
convent, but very few travelers have been permitted to inspect the literary 
treasures in the care of the old monks. Professor Palmer thus writes from 
the convent, December 31, 1869, (see Palestine Exploration Fund, Statement, 
March, 1870:) "We have succeeded in gaining admittance to the Arch- 
bishop's apartments, in which the most valuable part of the MS. treasures 
are kept, and have inspected some of the most important ones. The well- 
known Codex Aureus is a beautifully written copy of the four Gospels, con- 
taining illuminated portraits of the evangelists and other sacred personages. 
It is attributed to the Emperor Theodosius, the colophon giving the date 
ana transcriber's name in the abbreviated uncial characters. . . . There 
are other very interesting works in the collection, among them an ancient 
copy of the Psalms in Georgian, written on papyrus, and a curious copy of 
the Psalms, written in a small female hand in six small pages without a 
date." 

Si'nim. Isa. xlix, 12. The Chinese are probably intended. A dynasty 
called Tshin reigned in China 249 to 206 B. C. 

Sin'ite, a Canaanite people, Gen. x, 17 ; 1 Chron. i, 15; probably located 
near Mount Lebanon. As late as the fifteenth century a village called Syn 
still existed near the river Area; this may have been the seat of the Siuites. 

Si'on, lofty. 

1. A name (perhaps the ancient name) of Mount Hermon, Deut. iv, 48. 



4:54 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

2. The Greek form of Zion, Matt, xxi, 5; John xii, 15, etc.; and frequently 
in the Apocryphal books. See Zion. 

Siph'moth, bare places, a town in the south of Judah to which presents 
were sent by David, 1 Sam. xxx, 28. Unknown. 

Si'rah, retreat, the name of a well — the spot from which Abner was re- 
called by Joab to his death at Hebron, 2 Sam. iii, 26. It lay apparently 
north of Hebron. About one mile out of Hebron there is a spring and 
reservoir called Ain Sara, which may be a relic of the well. 

Sir'ion, breastplate, the Sidonian name for Mount Hermon, given, perhaps, 
from a fancied resemblance to a breastplate, Deut. iii, 9 ; Psa. xxix, 6. 

Sit'nah, accusation, hatred, the second of Isaac's wells. The herdmen of 
Gerar strove for it, and therefore Isaac removed, Gen. xxvi, 21. Identified 
with Shutneh, between Rehoboth and Beersheba. 

Smyr'na, (Map 8,) myrrh, a celebrated city of Ionia, situated about forty 
miles north of Ephesus, at the mouth of the small river Meles. Having 
been destroyed by the Lydians, it lay waste for four hundred years, until 
Alexander, or Antigonus after the great conqueror's death, rebuilt it, at a 
short distance from the ancient site. During the reign of the first Roman 
emperors Smyrna was one of the finest cities of Asia. At tliis period it 
became the seat of one of "the seven churches of Asia," Rev. i, 11 ; ii, 8-11. 
Some of St. John's expressions in these passages seem to refer to rites prac- 
ticed by pagan inhabitants of the city. Smyrna was destroyed by an earth- 
quake in A. D. 177, and, although rebuilt with more than its former splendor, 
it has since greatly suffered from earthquakes and conflagrations. 

The Turks now call the city Ismir. The population is computed at from 
120,000 to 130,000. Anciently Smyrna was called "the lovely — the crown 
of Ionia — the ornament of Asia." Possibly the modern town, whose houses 
of wood are giving way in all directions to mansions of stone, may yet rep- 
resent the ancient city. 

So'cho, branches, hedge, 1 Chron. iv, 18. Probably Socoh of Judah 

So'choh, branches, hedge, 1 Kings iv, 10. See SOCOH. 

So'coh, (Map 13,) branches, hedge. 

1. A city in the low country (Shephelah) of Judah, Josh, xv, 35 ; also with 
the forms of Shoco, 2 Chron. xi, 7 ; Shocho, 2 Chron. xxviii, 18 ; and Shochoh, 
1 Sam. xvii, 1. This was the place where the Philistines were gathered for 
the campaign in which Goliath was slain. In 1 Kings iv, 10, it is men- 
tioned (Sochoh) as included in one of Solomon's commissariat districts. It 
was fortified by Rehoboam, but seized by the Philistines in the reign of 
Ahaz, 2 Chron. xi, 7; xxviii, 18. It has been identified with the ruins of 
Esh- Shuweikeh, in the Wady Sumt, about 3£ miles south-west of Jerusalem. 

2. A town also in Judah, but in the mountains, Josh, xv, 48. It is identi- 
fied with Esh- Shuweikeh, ten miles south-west of Hebron. 

Sod'om, (Map 3,) (Hebrew, S'dom.) The most probable signification is 
burning, conflagration, or vineyard, but the etymology still remains very ob- 
scure. The Bible does not definitely locate Sodom. It was in the " plain 
of Jordan," Gen. xiii, 10, and was first mentioned in describing the borders 
of the Canaanites, Gen. x, 19. Lot first pitched his tent close by Sodom, in 
the plain that was "well watered ... as the garden of the Lord," Gen. 
xiii, 10-13. At a later period he dwelt in the city. Sodom was plundered 
by Chedorlaomer and his associates, but the captives and booty were re- 
covered by Abraham, Gen. xiv. The great sinfulness of this city ; together 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 455 

with its singular and fearful overthrow, are recorded in Gen. xviii, 16-38; 
xix, 1-29. Sodom is frequently afterward referred to by Moses, by the 
prophets, and the New Testament writers, and held up as a warning of the 
terrible vengeance of God upon sinners, Deut. xxix, 23 ; xxxii, 32 ; Isa. i, 
9, 10; ii, 9; xiii, 19; Jer. xxiii, 14; xlix, 18; 1, 40; Lanr. iv, 6; Ezek. xvi, 
49, 50 ; Hosea xi, 8 ; Amos iv, 11 ; Zeph. ii, 9 ; Matt, x, 1 5 ; xi, 23, 24 ; 2 Peter 
ii, 6- 8 ; Jude 7 ; Rev. xi, 8. 

The testimony of ancient writers concerning the site of Sodom is conflict- 
ing. By some it is regarded as having been engulfed by the waters of the 
Dsad Sea ; by others it is located on the shore. They agree, however, in 
locating it at the southern end of the Dead Sea. This has always been the 
generally received opinion. Recently a number of able critics have main- 
tained that Sodom and the rest of the cities of the plain of Jordan stood on 
the nm-th of the Dead Sea, and that neither the cities nor the district were 
submerged by the lake, but that the cities were overthrown and the land 
spoiled, and that the land may still be seen in its desolate condition. Mr. 
Grove, who strongly favors the northern site for Sodom, remarking that no 
satisfactory conclusion concerning the location can be reached, adds : " How 
the geological argument may affect either side of the proposition cannot be 
decided in the present condition of our knowledge." Dr. J. L. Porter, one 
of the ablest advocates for the location of Sodom toward the south end of the 
sea, remarks: "The most careful survey of the shores of the Dead Sea has 
failed to bring to light a single vestige of Sodom. It is in the highest de- 
gree probable that the city stood somewhere near the range of Khashm 
Usdum, [Sodom,] and gave to it the name which it has handed down to our 
own day. But whether the site was on the shore and has been completely 
obliterated by the action of the fiery shower and the lapse of well-nigh four 
thousand years, or whether the waters of the Dead Sea, as they covered the 
vale of Siddim, covered also the scathed ruins of Sodom, it is now, and prob- 
ably ever will be, impossible satisfactorily to determine." See Sea, Salt , 
Siodim ; Zoar. 

Sod'oma, Rom. ix, 29, the Greek form of Sodom. 

Sodomite. In 2 Esdras vii, 36, this word denotes an inhabitant of 
Sodom. But in the Bible it refers to those (males) who practiced as a 
religious rite the abominable and unnatural vice from which the inhabitants 
of Sodom and Gomorrah have derived their lasting infamy. See Deut. 
xxiii, 17; 1 Kings xiv, 24; xv, 12; xxii, 46; 2 Kings xxiii, 7; Job xxvi, 14, 
(margin.) The female form occurs in Gen. xxxviii, 21, 22; Deut. xxxiii, 17; 
Hosea iv, 14. 

Sod'omitish Sea. 2 Esdr. v, 7. The Dead Sea. 

Solomon's Pools, (Map 6,) three in number, he in a narrow valley a few 
miles south-west of Bethlehem on the road to Hebron. The Arabs call 
them el-Burak, "tho pools." In the valley, which falls away eastward, is a 
large castellated Saracenic building called Kasr-el-Burak. This castle stands 
near the north-west corner of the upper pool. The pools, or tanks, are each on 
a different level, some distance apart, as indicated in the accompanying cut. 
The native rock forms the bed. The walls are built of large hewn stones. 
As seen from without they appear as massive structures built up above the 
ground, the upper, or western end of each being slightly higher than the 
eastern. The bottom and sides have been carefully coated with cement. 
In various places flights of steps lead down into the pools. A large fount- 



456 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 















»)^r 



ain not far from the 
north-west corner of 
the upper pool is tho 
main source of sup- 
ply. The waters gath- 
ered from the sur- 
rounding country into 
this fountain are 
thence conducted by 
an underground pas- 
sage to the pools. 
From the pools a 
conduit carries off 
the water,, until it 
finally enters the 
south-west corner of 
the temple area at 
Jerusalem. Although 
these gigantic struc- 
tures are not men- 
tioned in Scripture, 
yet we may safely 
trace them to Solomon's time. Compare Eccles. ii, 4-6. The fountain noted 
above is, according to tradition, referred to in Sol. Song, iv, 12, as the 
" spring shut up. the fountain sealed." The following are the measurements 
of the pools as taken by Dr. Robinson in 1838 : 

1. Eastern or lower pool. Length, 582 feet. Breadth, east end, 207 feet, 
west end, 148 feet. Depth at east end, 50 feet, of which 6 feet water. Dr. 
Thomson says: "When full it would float the largest man-of-war that ever 
plowed the ocean." 

2. Middle pool. Distance above lower pool, 248 feet. Length, 423 feet. 
Breadth, east end, 250 feet, west end, 160 feet. Depth at east end 39 feet, 
of which 14 feet water. 

3. Upper pool. Distance above middle pool, 160 feet. Length, 380 feet. 
Breadth, east end, 236 feet, west end, 229 feet. Depth at east end, 25 feet, of 
which 15 feet water. 

Sol'omon's Porch, or Cloister, John x, 23; Acts iii, 11; v, 12. The 
range of pillars on the east side of the outer court of the temple. 

So'rek, (Map 5,) choice vine, a valley where lived a woman whom Samson 
loved — Delilah, Judg. xvi, 4. It was doubtless to the north of Eleutheropolis, 
not far from Zorah, the native place of Samson. 

South Ra'moth, 1 Sam. xxx, 27. See Ramath-Negeb. 

Spain, (Map 12,) the well-known country of Europe. Anciently the 
name was applied to the whole peninsula which now comprises Spain and 
Portugal. It is alluded to in 1 Mace, viii, 3, in describing the conquest of 
the Romans. With the- position and mineral wealth of Spain the Hebrews 
were acquainted from the time of Solomon. This province belonged to Rome 
in the time of Paul, and many Jews appear to have settled there. The 
great apostle announced his intention of visiting Spain, Rom. xv, 24, 28 ; 
but it is uncertain whether he ever accomplished his design. Many oriental 
customs still exist in this country. See Tarshisbl 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 457 

Spar'ta, (Map 8,) 1 Mace, xiv, 16. A celebrated city cf Greece, between 
whose inhabitants and the Jews a relationship was bedieved to subsist. 
Between the two nations a correspondence ensued. 

Suc'coth, (Maps 2, 5,) booths. 

1 . A place, probably on the east of the Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, where 
Jacob, after his interview with Esau, constructed a habitation for himself 
and made booths for his cattle, Gen. xxxiii, 17 ; Josh, xiii, 27. The inhab- 
itants of Succoth churlishly refused assistance to Gideon when pursuing the 
Midianites, for which on his triumphant return they were severely punished, 
Judg. viii, 5-8, 14-16. The place is mentioned in 1 Kings vii, 46, and 
2 Chron. iv, 17, as marking the spot at which the brass founderies were 
placed for casting the metal-work of the temple. It is also alluded to in 
Psa. lx, 6; cviii, 7. 

The ruins of a place called SukJcot were discovered by Burckhardt, which 
from his narrative appear to have been east of the Jordan ; but, being 
about six miles south of Bethshan, they seem too far north for the account 
in Genesis. Dr. Robinson and Van de Velde discovered another ruin 
called Sdkut, on the west bank of the Jordan, about ten to fifteen miles south 
of Beisan. Mr. Porter says : "Its position on the west bank prevents its 
being identified with the Succoth of the Bible, but it is just possible that 
the name may have been transferred from the ancient town on the east 
side to a more modern village on the west." 

2. The first camping-place of the Israelites on their departure from Egypt, 
Exod. xii, 37 ; xiii, 20 ; Num. xxxiii, 5, 6. Its exact position has not been 
satisfactorily determined. 

Sud, Bar. i, 4. A river near to Babylon on whose banks lived Jewish 
captives. Possibly the Euphrates. 

Suk'kiims, dwellers in tents, one of the three great nations which composed 
the army of Shishak, King of Egypt, when he came up against Rehoboa.u 
in Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xii, 3. It seems probable that these were a iiomad 
people, and more probably an Arab tribe than Ethiopians. 

Sur, a place on the sea-coast of Palestine, Judith ii, 28. Unknown. 

Su'sa, Rest of Esther xi, 3; xvi, 18. See Shushan. 

Su'sanchites. Ezra iv, 9. The people of Susa or Shushan. 

Sy'char, falsehood (1), drunken^). The common opinion is that Sychar Is 
but another name for the better known Sychem or Shechem. Dr. Robinson 
says : " In consequence of the hatred which existed between the Jews and 
the Samaritans, and in allusion to their idolatry, the towns of Sichem 
received, among the Jewish common people, the by-name Sj'-char," John 
iv, 5. But Dr. Thomson supposes that Sychar is identical with the little 
villagD of Aschar, on the south-eastern declivity of Mount Ebal. 

Sy'chem, Acts vii, 16, the Greek form of Shechem. 

Sy'chemite, Judith v, 16. The people of Sychem. 

Sye'ne, (Map 1,) opening or key, (of Egypt,) a city of Egypt, in the south- 
ern extremity, on the eastern bank of the Nile. Its ancient Egyptian name 
was Sun, that is, " opening " (into Egypt.) The prophet speaks of the desola- 
tion of Egypt " from Migdol to Syene," Ezek. xxix, 10. margin ; xxx, 6, margin. 

The modern town of Aswan, or Assouan, lying a little to the north-east of 
the old city, represents Syene. A few remains of the ancient city are still 
found. There are also Arab and Roman ruins. 

Syr'acuse, (Map 8,) a celebrated city on the south-east coast of Sicily. 



4-58 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

The extensive trade of Syracuse, carried on while an independent State under 
its own kings, rendered it very wealthy and populous. About B. C. 200 
it was taken by the Romans, after a siege rendered famous by the mechan- 
ical contrivances whereby Archimedes protracted the defense. On his way 
to Rome as a prisoner St. Paul spent three days here, Acts xxviii, 12. The 
city still exists under the name of Syracusa. It is a place of some import- 
ance, and a few ruins of the ancient city yet remain. 

Syr ia, (Maps 1, 5, 1 2,) the region of country known to the Hebrews as 
Aram. The name Syria is probably derived from Tsur, or Tyre, the first of 
the Syrian towns known to the Greeks. Hence Syria would signify the 
" region of Tyre." 

The extent of Syria is not easily determined. Aram extended from the 
Mediterranean to the Tigris, and from Canaan to Mount Taurus. The Greek 
geographers gave a much wider signification to Syria, extending it on the 
one side to Egypt and on the other to the Euxine ; but it is doubtful if they 
were ever agreed as to its exact boundaries. In New Testament times Syria 
seems to have nearly corresponded with the more ancient Aram. Its bound- 
aries may be given as follows : Palestine on the south, the Mediterranean 
on the west, Cilicia and Mount Amanus on the north, the Euphrates and 
Desert of Palmyra on the east. Thus its length was nearly three hundred 
miles from north to south, with an average breadth of about one hundred and 
thirty miles. Syria is generally mountainous. Lebanon is the most interest- 
ing of its mountain ranges. [See Lebanon.] The most important part of 
Syria, and on the whole its most striking feature, is the great valley which 
reaches from the plain of Umk, near Antioch, to the narrow gorge in which 
the river Litany enters in about lat. 33° 30'. Its more southern part was 
known to the ancients as Ccele-Syria, "the Hollow Syria." See Cgele- 
Syria. This valley, and especially its southern part, is the most fertile 
tract of Syria. The region on the coast is hot, and is said to be unwholesome. 
In the great Syrian desert stretching to the east are some fertile oases, in 
the most noted of which is Palmyra. 

Syria was colonized by the Canaanites and the Arameans. The former 
settled on the coast and on the heights of Lebanon, and had one inland sta- 
tion at Hamath. The latter occupied Damascus and spread over the 
remaining portions of the country, Gen. x. When we first hear of Syria in 
Scripture it seems to have been broken up among a number of petty king- 
doms. Joshua doubtless made war often with the Syrian chiefs or kings, 
Josh, xi, 2-18 ; but afterward the Syrians were probably undisturbed till the 
time of David. In 2 Sam. viii, we have the account of David's victory over 
the "king of Zobah" and "the Syrians of Damascus." A few years later 
David reduced Syria to general submission, 2 Sam. x, 6-19. The country 
continued subject to Solomon, who " reigned over all the kingdoms from the 
river (Euphrates) unto the land of the Philistines and unto the border of 
Egypt," 1 Kings iv, 21. Afterward, probably in the later days of Solomon, 
an independent kingdom was formed at Damascus, 1 Kings xi, 23-25. 
Damascus was now the leading State, and a succession of its kings became 
formidable to Israel, sometimes being in alliance with the southern State of 
Judah. See 1 Kings xv, 18-20; xx; xxii, 1-38; 2 Kings vi, 8-33; vii; 
ix, 14, 15, x, 32, 33; xiii, 3, 14-25. In the reign of Jeroboam II. Israel had 
some success against the Syrians, 2 Kings xiv, 27, 28. Finally the king of 
Syria leagued with the king of Israel to overthrow Judah, but Ahaz in- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 459 

voked the aid of the king of Assyria, and the struggle resulted hi attach- 
ing Syria to the great Assyrian empire. Thence Syria passed successively 
under the dominion of the Babylonians and the Persians, and, at last, in 
B. C. 333, it submitted to the conquering legions of Alexander the Great. 
After his death it fell with other territories to one of his gene rals, Seleucus 
Nicator, who founded Antioch 300 B. C, and made it the capital of a great 
kingdom. The wealth and magnificence of Antioch were extraordinary — it 
being in fact the most splendid of all the cities of the East. A long line of 
kings, with more or less success, maintained the dominion of Syria. Of 
these Antiochus Epiphanes was the most cruel oppressor of the Jews. The 
lafter, however, by the valor of the Asmonean princes, established their in- 
dependence. At length the wealth of Syria being dissipated — in costly wars, 
in bribes to Rome, in the wastefulness of luxurious kings — it became a 
Roman province, B. C. 64. StiM, however, under the Romans, there were 
free cities, and petty sovereignties assigned from time to time to subject 
princes, such as Chalcis, Abilene, Damascus, and others. Palmyra main- 
tained its independence so late as between A. D. 114 and A. D. 116. Some- 
times Judea was attached to Syria, its procurator being subordinate to the 
president or governor ot Syria. St. Paul's visits to the Churches in Syria 
are several times mentioned, Acts xv, 41; xviii, 18; xxi, 3; Gal. i, 21. In 
connection with the above history we see the fulfillment of prophecy ; Isa. 
vii, 8-16; viii, 4-7; xvii, 1-3; Jer. xlix, 23-27; Amos i, 3-5; Zech. ix, 1. 
Syria remained under Roman and Byzantine rule till A. D. 634, when it was 
overrun by the Mohammedans under Khaled. For many years this country 
was the theater of fierce contests, and at length, in A. D. 1517, it was cap- 
tured by the Turks under Sultan Selim I., and it has since remained a portion 
of the Ottoman empire. 

Syria-Ma'achah. 1 Chron. xix, 6. See Aram ; Maachah. 

Syrian, Syrians, people of a high region. The inhabitants of Syria, Gen. 
xxv, 20; Deut. xxvi, 5; 2 Sam. viii, 5, 6, 13; 1 Kings xx, 20; 2 Kings v, 
2, 20; Ezra iv, 7; Isa. ix, 12; Amos ix, 7; Matt, iv, 24; Luke iv, 27, etc. 

Sy'ro-Phcenic'ian. This term is employed to distinguish the Phoeni- 
cians of Syria from those of Africa, (the Carthagenians.) The woman de- 
scribed in Mark vii, 26, as Syro-Phcenician, is called in Matt, xv, 22, a 
Canaanitish woman, because Phoenicia was still occupied by the descendants 
of Canaan, of whom Sidon was the eldest son. 

Ta'anach, (Map 5,) sandy soil ; in Josh, xxi, 25, Tanach, a royal city of 
the Canaanites, whose king Joshua destroyed, Josh, xii, 21. It was in the 
territory of Issachar, but assigned to Manasseh, and then allotted to the 
Levites, Josh, xvii, 11-21 ; xxi, 25 ; Judg. i, 27. Barak's victory was gained 
near Taanach, Judg. 5, 19. In later times, with Megiddo and other places, 
this city formed a part of one of Solomon's commissariat districts, 1 Kings 
iv, 12. The Aner of 1 Chron. vi, 70, may possibly be the same with 
Taanach. Ta'annuk, a small modern village on the south-west border of 
the plain of Esdraelon, four miles south of Megiddo, marks the site of an- 
cient Taanach. 

Ta'anath-Shi'loh, approach to Shiloh, a place named in Josh, xvi, 6, as 
one of the landmarks on the border-fine of Ephraim. It is not known, but 
is considered as possibly identical with Shiloh. 

Tab'bath, celebrated, a place mentioned in describing the flight of the 



X 



460 BIBLE GEOGKAPHY. 

Midianite host after Gideon's night attack, Judg. vii, 22. Possibly it is 
identical with Tubukhat-Fohil, a remarkable mound or bank, about six hun- 
dred feet high, opposite Beisan, (Beth-Shean.) 

Tab'erah, (Map 2 3 ) a burning, a place in the wilderness of Paran, where 
a judgment by the " fire of the Lord " was inflicted on the Israelites, Num. 
xi, 3; Deut. ix, 22. Unknown. 

Ta'bor, (Map 5,) mound, mountain height. 

1. A mountain of Palestine. Among Greek and Roman writers the name 
appears as Itabyrion and Atabyrion. Tabor lies on the confines of Zebulim 
and Naphtali, rising abruptly from the north-eastern arm of the Plain of 
Esdraelon, Josh, xix, 22. It stands entirely insulated, except on the wfst, 
where a narrow ridge connects it with the hills of Nazareth. Seen from a 
distance it presents a most beautiful appearance, being very symmetrical in 
its proportions, and rounded off like a hemisphere or the segment Df a circle, 
yet varying somewhat as viewed from different directions. The southern 
face of the mountain is almost naked limestone rock, but the northern 
slope is covered with forests of oak, terebinth, and syringa to the very 
summit. 

It was on Tabor that Barak, at the command of Deborah, assembled his 
forces. On the arrival of the opportune moment he descended thence with 
"ten thousand men after him" into the plain, and conquered Sisera on the 
banks of the Kishon, Judg. iv, 6-15. In the wars of Gideon Tabor is again 
mentioned, Judg. viii, 18, 19. It is also alluded to in Psa. ixxxix, 12; Jer. 
xlvi, 18; Hosea v, 1. 

Although the name of Tabor does not occur in the New Testament, yet 
from the fourth century it has been traditionally believed to be the scene of 
our Lord's transfiguration. "If one might choose a place which he would 
deem peculiarly fitting for so sublime a transaction, there is none certainly 
which would so entirely satisfy our feelings in this respect as the lofty, 
majestic, beautiful Tabor." But this theory seems highly improbable from 
the fact that just a little before this glorious event Jesus was far away from 
Tabor, near Csesarea Philippi, Matt, xvi, 13. Moreover the summit of Tabor 
was at the time occupied by a fortified town. It may also be remarked that 
this part of Galilee abounds with "high mountains apart," so that there is 
no difficulty in providing other suitable sites for the transfiguration. Possi- 
bly it may have occurred on one of the spurs or recesses of Hermon. 

The modern name of Tabor is Jebel et-Tur. On the summit, which rises 
about one thousand nine hundred feet, " are the foundations of a thick wall 
built of large stones, some of which are beveled, showing that the entiro 
wall was perhaps originally of that character." — Robinson. There are also 
remains of " towers, vaults, cisterns, and houses, some of which indicate the 
sites of the convents and churches erected by the Crusaders." — Thomson. 
Several of these vaults have been converted into a Greek chapel, with a 
residence for the priest. The Latin Christians have also an altar here, at 
which an annual mass is celebrated by their priests from Nazareth. 

2. A Levitical city in the tribe of Zebulun, (1 Chron. vi, 77,) and probably 
identical with Chisloth-Tabor, which see. 

3. An oak or grove of oaks in the territory of Benjamin, 1 Sam. x, 3. 
Unknown. 

Tad'mor, (Maps 1, 4, 8,) city of palms, a city in the wilderness, biilt by 
Solomon, 1 Kings ix, 18 ; 2 Chron. vin, 4. The form Tamar also occurs, and it 




BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 4:63 

seeins more ancient than that of Tadraor. According to an Arabic tradition 
this city existed at an earlier age, and Solomon rebuilt and fortified it as 
a barrier fortress. 

Tadmor lay between the Euphrates and Hamath, to the south-east; of that 
city, in a fertile tract or oasis of the desert. Thus, being at a coi venient 
distance from both the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, h -was sure 
to secure the advantages of caravan traffic. "Without doubt, Tadmor is 
identical with the renowned Palmyra of the Greeks and Romans. Palmyra, 
after various fortunes, at length, under Odenathus and his martial queen 
Zenobia, expanded into a mighty sovereignty, rivaling and defying for a 
time the Roman power. Finally, however. Zenobia was defeated and taken 
captive by tht Emperor Aurelian, (A. D. 273,) who left a Roman garrison in 
the city. The garrison was massacred in a revolt. For this Aurelian 
executed not only those who were taken in arms, but common peasants, old 
men, and even women and children. Although there are proofs that Pal- 
myra continued to be inhabited until the downfall of the Roman Empire, 
yet from this blow it never recovered. The grandeur and magnificence 
of Palmyra are abundantly attested by the vast ruins which remain. These 
are found about one hundred and forty miles east-north-east from Damascus. 
The old name was never superseded among the natives, who to this day give 
the spot the name of Thadmor. 

Tahap'anes. Jer. ii, 16. See Tahpanhes. 

Ta'hath, (Map 2,) place, station, one of the halting places of Israel in the 
wilderness, Num. xxxiii, 26, 27. Probably identical with Elf hi. 

Tah'panhes, (Map 2.) The etymology of the word is obscure. It has 
been conjectured to mean, The head or beginning of the age or world. It 
is also called Tahapanhes, and Tehaphnehes, and Taphnes ; and it is possibly 
the Hanes of Isa. xxx, 4. The name clearly resembles that of the Egyptian 
Queen Tahpexes referred to in 1 Kings xi, 18-20. 

This was a city of Lower Egypt, near the eastern border, Jer. ii, 16 ; 
xliii, 7, 8, 9; xliv, 1; xlvi, 14; Ezek. xxx, 18. To this place Johanan and 
his party repaired, taking Jeremiah with them, after the murder of Gedaliah. 
It is considered as possibly identical with the Daphne of the Greeks, a 
strong boundary city on the Pelusiac arm of the Nile. The site of Daphne 
is supposed to be marked by a mound called Tel Defenneh, which lies nearly 
in a direct line between the modern Zan and Pelusium. 

Tah'tim-Hod'shi, The Land op, nether or low land newly inhabited (?) a 
place visited by Joab while taking the census of the land of Israel, 2 Sam. 
xxiv, 6. " The name has puzzled all the interpreters." Some make it a 
proper name ; some translate it as above ; others translate the first part, 
and make Hodshi a proper name. Mr. Porter (in Kitto) says it was " man- 
ifestly a section of the upper valley of the Jordan, probably that now called 
Ard el-H&kh, lying deep down at the western base of Hermon." 

Ta'mar, palm-tree, a place on the south-eastern frontier of Judah, Ezek. 
xlvii, 19; xlviii, 28. It is identified by Dr. Robinson with the ruins at 
KHrnHbj a place about a day's journey south of el-Milh, (Malatha or Moladah.) 
Wilton identifies it with Hazar-Gaddah ; but both these sites are as yet only 
conjectural. 

Ta'nach, Josh, xxi, 25. See Taanach. 

Ta'nis, Ezek. xxx, 14, margin; Judith i, 10. See Zoan. 

Taph'nes, Judith i, 9. See Tahpanhes. 



4.64: 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



Ta'phon, a city in Judea, fortified by Bacchides, 1 Mace, ix, 50. It -was 
probably identical with Beth-Tappuah, near Hebron. 
Tap'puah, apple or citron region. 

1. A city in the Shephelah or plain country of Judah Josh, xv, 34 ; situat- 
ed about twelve miles west of Jerusalem. Unknown. 

2. A city on the border of Ephraim and Manasseh, Josh, xvi, 8 ; xvii, 8 ; 
probably the same as En-Tappuah, Josh, xvii, 7. Attached to the city was 
a district called the land of Tappuah ; the city belonged to Ephraim, and tho 
land to Manasseh, Josh, xvii, 8. Both are unknown. Which of the two 
places above mentioned is referred to in Josh, xii, 17, is uncertain. 

Ta'rah, (Map 2,) station, a halting place in the wilderness, between Tahath 
and Mithcah, Num. xxxiii, 27, 28. Unknown. 

Tar'alah, a reeling, a city in Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 27. Unknown. 
Tar'pelites, The, an Assyrian people sent by Asnapper to colonize Sama- 
ria, Ezra iv, 9. They are by some supposed to be the Tapyri, east of 
Elymais ; by others the Tarpetes, a race near the Masotic marsh. 

Tar'shish, (Map 12,) hard, that is rocky, ground (7). In ] Kings x, 22; 
xxii, 48, Tharshish. Concerning the exact position of this city or country 
opinions have been much divided, but it is highly probable that it was located 
in the south of Spain. In the table of genealogies given in Genesis we find 
it placed among the sons of Javan : " Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and 
Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands," 
Gen. x, 4, 5. In Psa. lxxii, 10, we read, " The kings of Tarshish and of the 
isles shall bring presents; " and in 2 Chron. ix, 21, " The king's (Solomon's) 
ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram ; every three years once 
came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and 
peacocks." In Isa. lxvi, 19, Tarshish is mentioned among distant places, 
"the isles afar off." Evidently this place must have been on the sea-coast, 
for we frequently read of the "ships" and the "navy" of Tarshish. See 
1 Kings x, 22 ; Psa. xlviii, 7 • Isa. ii, 16 ; xxxiii, 1-14; lx, 9 ; Ezek. xxvii, 25. 

The passage in 
Ezek. xxvii, 12- 
25, describes this 
region as abound- 
ing in wealth. 
" Tarshish was 
thy (Tyre's) mer- 
chant, by reason 
of the multitude 
of all riches; 
with silver, iron, 
tin, and lead, 
they traded in 
thy fairs. . . The 
ships of Tar- 
shish did sing of 
thee in thy mar- 
ket ; and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the 
soas." From Jer. x, 9, we learn that Tarshish produced " silver spread into 
plates," and from the connection the silver was doubtless elaborately wrought, 
thus implying a high state of the art. "We learn more of its opulence from 




ANCIENT TRADING VESSELS. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 4G7 

Ezek xxxviii, 13. When the prophet Jonah refused to go to Nineveh he 
doubc:ess would flee in an opposite direction: thus he "rose up to flee 
unto Tarshish . . . and went down to Joppa ; and he found a ship going 
to Tarshish," Jonah i, 3 ; iv, 2. 

The following extract, from an article in Kitto's Cyclopaedia by Dr. J. R. 
Beard, will be read with interest: l, It appears, then, clear . . . that Tarshish 
was an old, celebrated, opulent, cultivated commercial city, which carried 
on trade in the Mediterranean and with the seaports of Syria, especially 
Tyre and Joppa, and that it most probably lay on the extreme west of that 
sea. Was there, then, in ancient times any city in these parts which corre- 
sponded with these clearly ascertained facts? There was. Such was Tar- 
tessus in Spain, said to have been a Phoenician colony ... a fact which of 
itself would account for its intimate connection with Palestine and the 
biblical narrative. As to the exact spot where Tartessis (so written origin- 
ally) lay authorities are not agreed, as the city had ceased to exist when 
geography began to receive attention ; but it was not far from the Straits of 
Gibraltar, and near the mouth of the Guadalquiver, consequently at no 
great distance from the famous Granada of later days. The reader, however, 
must enlarge his notion beyond that of a mere city, which, how great soever, 
would scarcely correspond with the ideas of magnitude, affluence, and power 
that the Scriptures suggest. The name, which is of Phoenician origin, 
seems to denote the district of south-western Spain, comprising the several 
colonies which Tyre planted in that country, and so being equivalent to 
what we might designate Phoenician Spain. We are not, however, convinced 
that the opposite coast of Africa was not included, so that the word would 
denote to an inhabitant of Palestine the extreme western parts of the world." 
Other arguments might be adduced in support of the site indicated; but 
space is afforded simply for reference to the fact that this theory gains force 
by the testimony of ancient writers to the great wealth of Spain. Says 
Pliny: "Nearly all Spain abounds in the metals — lead, iron, copper, silver, 
gold." Heerensays: " Spain was once the richest land in the world for 
silver; gold was found there in great abundance, and the baser metals as 
well." From 1 Kings xxii, 48, it appears that Jehoshaphat had " ships of 
Tarshish" constructed at P]zion-Geber, on the eastern arm of the Red Sea, 
to go to Ophir and in 2 Chron. xx, 36, it is said they were to go to Tarshish. 
The supposition (of Keil) that these ships were intended to be transported 
across the land to the Mediterranean, and thus to sail to Spain, seems improb- 
able. It is still more improbable that they were designed to circumnavi- 
gate Africa. Some think there must have been two places called Tarshish, 
one in Spain, the other in the Indian Ocean. The most probable theory, 
however, is that first suggested by Vitringa, and now adopted by the best 
critics, namely, that the term " ships of Tarshish" had come (at the time 
the Chronicles were compiled) to signify " large Phoenician ships, of a par- 
ticular size and description, destined for long voyages, just as in English 
' East Indiaman ' was a general name given to vessels some of which were 
not intended to go to India at all." 

Tar'sus, (Map 8.) The signification may possibly have some connection 
with Tarshish. This was a celebrated city, the capital of Cilicia, in Asia 
Minor. Caesar changed its name to Juliopolis. It lay on the banks of the 
river Cydnus, which flowed through it and divided it into two parts. Tarsus 
was a distinguished scat of Greek philosophy and literature, and from the 

22 



468 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

number of its schools and learned men was ranked by the side of Athens 
and Alexandria. Many Jews appear to have settled here ; and the most 
distinguished citizen of Tarsus was Saul, afterward the Apostle Paul, Acts 
ix, 11, 30; xi, 25; xxi, 39; xxii, 3. Augustus made Tarsus free; but this 
freedom did not convey any right as a Roman colony of Roman citizenship 
to the natives, so that Paul was a citizen of Rome by virtue of some other 
franchise. Tarsus, indeed, eventually became a Roman colony. The mod- 
ern town is called Tarsous, and is a poor and filthy place, inhabited by Turks, 
the population being estimated at from 20,000 to 30,000. Only a few ruins 
of the ancient city remain. 

Tav'erns, The Three, (Map 8,) a place on the Appian road, about thirty- 
three miles from Rome. The name is probably derived from three large 
inns, or eating-houses, for the refreshment of travelers passing to and from 
Rome. Some of the "brethren" came thither to meet Paul, and by their 
coming the apostle took fresh courage, Acts xxviii, 13-15. The place still 
remains under the name Tre Taverne, near the modern Cisterna. 

Tehaph'nehes, Ezek. xxx, 18. See Tahpanhes. 

Teko'a and Teko'ah, (Map 6,) possibly a pitching of tents, or trumpet-clang. 
In 1 Mace, ix, 33, Thecoe. A city about six miles south of Bethlehem, on 
the borders of the desert to which it gave its name, 2 Chron. xx, 20 ; Jer. 
vi, 1. It was colonized by Asher, of the tribe of Judah, 1 Chron. ii, 24; 
iv, 5 ; and fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 6. The " wise woman " who 
interceded for Absalom resided here, 2 Sam. xiv, 2, 4, 9 ; and here also lived 
the prophet Amos as a herdman when he was visited by the prophetic word, 
Amos i, 1. The site still bears the name of Teku'a. It is an elevated hill, 
not steep, but broad at the top, and covered with ruins to the extent of four 
or five acres. These consist chiefly of the foundations of houses built of 
squared stones, some of which are beveled. There are also cisterns and 
broken columns. 

Teko'ites, the inhabitants of Tekoah, 2 Sam. xxiii, 26, etc. 

Tel-a'bib, corn-hill, a city of Chaldea or Babylonia, on the river Chebar ; 
the residence of Ezekiel, with other Jewish captives, Ezek. iii, 15. Unknown. 

Tel' aim, young lambs, the place at which Saul collected and numbered his 
forces before his attack on Amalek, 1 Sam. xv, 4. Possibly it may be iden- 
tical with Telem, (which see.) 

Telas'sar, the hill of Asshur ; also Thelasar, a city inhabited by the " chil- 
dren of Eden," and conquered by the Assyrians, 2 Kings xix, 12; Isa. 
xxxvii, 12. It lay, probably, in the hill country, above the upper Mesopo- 
tamian plain. Ewald identifies it with Teleda, a heap of ruins south-west from 
Racca ; but this lacks confirmation. 

Telem, oppression, a city in the extreme south of Judah, occurring be- 
tween Ziph and Bealoth, Josh, xv, 24. It is possibly identical with Telahn. 
Mr. Wilton supposes that a trace of Telem is found in the Arab tribe Dhul- 
1dm, which gives its name to a district lying south-east of Beersheba : a sup- 
position not altogether improbable. 

Tel-Hare' sha, and Tel-Har'sa, forest hill, a place in Babylonia, probably 
in the low country, near the sea. In 1 Esdr. v, 36, Thelersas. Prom this 
town some Jews who could not prove their pedigree returned to Judea 
with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii, 59 ; Neh. vii, 61. Unknown. 

Tel-Me'lah, salt-MU; in 1 Esdr. v, 36, Thermeleth; a place in Babylo 
nia, from which also returned persons of doubtful pedigree, Ezra ii, 59 




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BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 473 

Neh. vii, 61. It was probably near the Persian Gulf; but it is not iden- 
tified. 

Te'ma, (Map 12.) south, desert, an Ishmaelite tribe descended from Tenia, 
Gen. xxv, 15 ; 1 Chron. i, 30. They peopled a district of Arabia. Tema is 
coupled with Sheba, Job vi, 16; and with Dedan, Isa. xxi, 14; Jer. xxv, 23; 
and it appears to have furnished caravans for commerce between Damascus 
and Mecca. Possibly the ancient Tema corresponds with Teyma, a small 
town on the Raj route, outside the borders of Syria. 

Teman, south, desert, the name of a people and country taking their ap- 
pellation from the oldest son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, Gen. xxxvi, 11. 
In Bar. iii, 22, 23, Theman. These people were called Temani, or Temanites, 
and were noted for their wisdom and valor. They formed the stronghold 
of Idumean power : hence they are specially mentioned in the predictions 
against Edom, Jer. xlix, 7; Ezek. xxv, 13; Amos i, 12; Obad. 9; Hab. 
iii, 3. The exact bounds or locality of Teman cannot be determined by the 
Scripture allusions ; but it is probable that this region was a southern por- 
tion of the land of Edom, or, in a wider sense, that of the sons of the East, 
the Bene-Kedem. A town called Teman is mentioned by Jerome and Euse- 
bius as lying a few miles from Petra, and having a Roman garrison. Sume 
think this may mark the region of the Temanites. "Wilton would place 
Teman at the northern extremity of Edom, among the mountains of the 
'Azazimeh. 

Te'mani and Te'manite, Gen. xxxvi, 24; Job ii, 11, etc. See Teman. 

Tham'natha, 1 Mace, ix, 50, probably the ancient Timnah and the mod- 
ern Tihneh, half way between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean. 

Thar'sbish, 1 Kings x, 22 ; xxii, 48. A more accurate form of Tarshish. 

Thebes. See No-Amon. 

The'bez, brightness, a town not far from Shechem, where Abimelech was 
killed, Judg. ix, 50; 2 Sam. xi, 21. It is now Tubas, eleven miles north- 
east of Nablous, surrounded by olive groves, and said to be a thriving place. 

Theco'e. 1 Mace, ix, 33. See Tekoa. 

Thela'sar. 2 Kings xix, 12. See Telassar. 

Theler'sas. 1 Esdr. v, 36. See Tel-Haresha. 

The'man. Bar. iii, 22, 23. See Teman. 

The'ras. 1 Esdr. viii, 41, 61. Corruption of Ahava, which see. 

Ther'meleth. 1 Esdr. v, 36. See Tel-Melah. 

Thessaloni'ca, (Map 8,) a city of Macedonia, anciently called Therma. 
On the ancient site a new city was built by Cassander, who called it aftei 
his wife, Thessalonica, the daughter of Philip. Under the Romans it was 
one of the four divisions of Macedonia, and the usual station of a Roman 
praetor and qusestor. Here the Jews had a synagogue; and it was to the 
Church gathered here that Paul wrote his earliest epistles. The Church was 
organized by Paul and Silas, most of the persons who believed being Gen- 
tiles and Jewish proselytes, Acts xvii, 1-4 ; 1 Thess. i, 9. The a postle after 
a short stay was driven from the city by the violence of the Jews, who fol- 
lowed him even to Berea, and stirred up a persecution against him there, 
Acts xvii, 5-10, 13. No doubt he visited Thessalonica at least once again, 
Acts xx, 1-3. The place is also referred to in Phil, iv, 6; 2 Tim. iv, 10. 
In Acts xvii, 6, 8, the rulers of the city are called (in the original) politarchai ; 
and this same word remains to this day on an ancient arch which spans the 
street of the modern city. Thessalonica continued an important city ; it 



474: BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

was regarded as the capital not only of Macedonia, but of all Greece, till the 
building of Constantinople. During several centuries after Christ it was 
known as the " Orthodox City." Its modern name is Saloniki. The popu- 
lation numbers about 70,000, including many Jews. The present town 
stands on the acclivity of a steep hill, rising at the north-eastern extremity 
of the bay to which the city gives its name. It presents an imposing ap- 
pearance from the sea, with which the interior by no means corresponds. 
The principal antiquities are the propylasa of the hippodroms, the rotunda, 
and the triumphal arches of Augustus and Constantine. 

Thim'nathah, (Map 5.) Josh, xix, 43. See Timnah, (1.) 

This'be, a city of Naphtali, Tob. i, 2. Some suppose this city has the 
honor of being the birthplace of Elijah the Tishbite. (See 1 Kings xvii, 1.) 
This, to say the least, is very doubtful. The site is not identified. 

Thra'cia, (Map 8,) 2 Mace, xii, 35. Thrace, the country between the 
./Egean, the Propontis, and Euxine, and the rivers Strymon and Danube, now 
Bulgaria and Houmelia, 2 Mace, xii, 35. 

Three Taverns. See Taverns, The Three. 

Thy'ati'ra, (Map 8,) a city known in earlier times by the names Pelopia, 
Semiramis, and Euhippa. It is situated on the northern border of Lydia, 
about twenty-seven miles from Sardis. From Acts xvi, 14, it appears to 
have been noted for the art of dyeing. Inscriptions still exist of the guild 
of dyers at Thyatira. This city was the seat of one of the seven Apocalyp- 
tic Churches, Rev. i, 11; ii, 18. The seductive teachings of Jezebel men- 
tioned in Rev. ii, 20-23, are said to refer to the worship of a Chaldean Sibyl, 
symbolically called Jezebel. Compare 1 Kings xvi, 31; xxi, 23, 25; 2 Kings 
ix, 7. The modern name of the city is Ah Hissar, (" white castle.") The place 
has a reputation for the manufacture of scarlet cloth, large quantities of which 
are sent weekly to Smyrna. The town consists of about two thousand houses, 
besides two or three hundred small huts. The population is about fifteen thou- 
sand. There are nine mosques and one Greek church. Ruins of the ancient 
city still remain ; fragments of sculptures are found built into modern walls. 

Tibe'rias, (Map 5,) a town of Galilee situated on the western bank of the 
Lake of Genesareth, John vi, 1, 23 ; xxi, 1. It was built by Herod Anti- 
pas, and named by him in honor of the Emperor Tiberius. Some suppose 
it was built on the site of a more ancient city, but this theory is not estab- 
lished. See The Land and the Boole. Tiberias was the principal city of the 
province from the time of Herod Antipas to the commencement of the reign 
of Herod Agrippa II. It was adorned with buildings, a royal palace and a 
stadium. The inhabitants were a motley race, deriving their maintenance 
chiefly from the navigation of the adjoining lake and its fisheries. After the 
destruction of Jerusalem, Tiberias was noted during several centuries for its 
famous rabbinical academy. It was here that the Mishna was compiled. 
Hei e also originated the celebrated work called the Masorah, (traditions,) a 
collection of notes, mainly critical, on the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. 
Many of these Masoretic notes are introduced in the margin of our version. 
Some of them are worthy of much respect. See, as a specimen, margin, 
Psa. c, 3. Not far from Tiberias, in the immediate neighborhood of the 
town of Emmaus, were warm mineral springs, whose celebrated baths are 
sometimes spoken of as belonging to Tiberias itself. These springs con- 
tained sulphur, salt, and iron, and were employed for medicinal purposes. 

It is a remarkable fact that the Gospels give us no information that the 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



475 




TIBERIAS. 



Saviour, who spent so 
much of his public life 
in Galilee, ever visited 
Tiberias. The present 
city, Tubarieh, stands 
about four miles from 
the southern end of 
the lake at the north- 
east corner of a small 
plain. The walls in- 
close an irregular par- 
allelogram, and are 
strengthened by round 
towers, ten on the 
west, five on the 
north, and eight on 
the south. There were 
also towers along the 
si iore. It is described 
as a filthy place, fear- 
fully hot in summer, 
and, according to Dr. 
Thomson, contains 
about two thousand 
inhabitants. The site of the present town does not fill the area of the an- 
cient city, of which some insignificant vestiges still exist. By an earthquake 
on New Year's Day, 1837, Tubarieh was nearly destroyed, and six hundred 
persons perished in the ruins. 

Tibe'rias, The Sea of, John xxi, 1. See Galilee, Sea op. 

Tib'hath, butchery, 1 Chron. xviii, 18. See Betah. 

Ti'gris, (Map 1,) velocity, or an arrow, Tobit vi, 1; Judith i, 6; Eccle- 
siasticus xxiv, 25. The river Hiddekel of Scripture. See Hiddekel. The 
prophet Daniel had to cross this river in his journey to and from Susa. 
(Sliushan.) Daniel had some of his greatest visions by the side of the Hid- 
dekel. See Daniel x-xii. 

Tim'nah, (Map 5,) portion assigned. 

1. A town on the northern border of Judah, Josh, xv, 10. In the time 
of King Ahaz it was occupied by the Philistines, 2 Chron. xxviii, 18. This 
is probably the same place which is called Thimnathah, Thamnatha, and 
Timnath, and which belonged apparently to Dan. It is now believed to be 
represented by the modern Tibneli, a deserted village about two miles to the 
west of Ain Shems, (Bethshemesh.) 

2. A town in the mountains of Judah, south of Hfcbron, Josh, xv, f7. 
Tim'nath, and Tim'nathah, (Map 5,) portion assigned. 

1. The place to which Judah was going up when he was met by his 
daughter-in-law Tamar, Gen. xxxviii, 12-14. It is very probably identical 
with Timnah, 1. 

2. The residence of Samson's wife, Josh, xiv, 1, 2, 5. By some it is con- 
sidered identical with the preceding. 

Tim'nath-He'res. Judg. ii, 9. See Tdinath-Serah. 
Tim'nath-Se'rah, portion of abundance ; in Judg. ii, 9, Timnath-Heres, 



4:76 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

portion of the sun. A city in the mountains of Ephraim which was assigned 
to Joshua, and became the place of his residence and burial, Josh, xix, 50 ; 
xxiv, 30. The tomb of Joshua was still pointed out in the time of Eusebius, 
who was inclined to identify this city with Timnah, (1) ; and this identifica- 
tion at present seems probable. 

Tim'nite, The, Judg. xv, 6. An inhabitant of Timnah, (1). 

Tiph'sah, (Map 4,) passage, ford. 

1. A large and opulent city on the western bank of the Euphrates, the 
frontier of Solomon's dominions, 1 Kings iv, 24. Doubtless this city is iden- 
tical with the Thapsacus of the Greeks and Romans, situated at the point 
where it was usual to cross the Euphrates. From the time of Seleucus 
Nicator it was called Amphipolis. The Euphrates expedition has shown 
that the only ford in that part of the course of the Euphrates here indicated 
is at Suriyeh, one hundred and sixty-five miles above De'ir, which doubtless 
marks the site of Thapsacus. Here, on either side of the river, a paved 
causeway is visible, and a long fine of mounds may be traced, disposed in 
the form of an irregular parallelogram, something like those of Nineveh. 

2. In 2 Kings xv, 16, it is said that Menahem, king of Israel, "smote 
Tiphsah and all that were therein, and all the coasts thereof." This place 
is usually identified with the above, but it seems rather to have been in the 
land of Israel, and near to Tirzah. 

Ti'ras, desire (?), a people descended from Tiras, one of the sons of 
Japheth, Gen. x, 2 ; 1 Chron. i, 5. They are usually supposed to have 
peopled the regions of Thrace. Kalisch identifies Tiras with the great 
Asiatic mountain-chain of Taurus, which includes many Asiatic tribes. 
Several other localities are assigned. See Smith's Dictionary, art. Tiras ; and 
Kitto, art. Nations, Dispersion of. 

Tir'zah, delight, pleasantness, an ancient royal city of the Oanaanites, cap- 
tured by Joshua, Josh, xii, 24. Jeroboam seems to have chosen it as his 
principal residence, 1 Kings xiv, 17. His successors resided at Tirzah till 
the royal palace was burned by Zimri; then, the city being probably de- 
spoiled, Omri chose another capital, and built Samaria, 1 Kings xv, 21, 33; 
xvi, 6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 23, 24. A brief notice of Tirzah occurs again in the 
time of Menahem, 2 Kings xv, 14, 16. The site of the city seems to have 
been noted for its beauty, Sol. Song vi, 4. Dr. Robinson and others would 
identify Tirzah with Telluzah, a thriving town north of Nablous. This place 
lies in a sightly and commanding position surrounded by immense groves 
of olive trees. Scarcely any remains of antiquity are found. 

Tish'bite, The. 1 Kings xvii, 1. See Thisbe. 

Titans, Judith xvi, 7. According to classical legend, the children of 
Uranus (heaven) and Gaia, or Terra, (earth,) vanquished by the gods of 
Olympus. 

Tob, good, a "land" or district beyond the Jordan into which Jephthah 
withdrew when expelled from Gilead, Judg. xi, 3, 5. It is called also Ish- 
Tob, 2 Sam. x, 6, 8 ; Tobie, 1 Mace, v, 13 ; Tubieni, 2 Mace, xii, 17. See 
Ish-Tob. 

To'bie, The Places of. See Tob. 

To'chen, a measure, a place in Simeon, 1 Chron. iv, 32. Unknown. 

Togar'mah, (Map 12,) breaking tones (?), Armenian tribe (?). The descend- 
ants of a son of Gomer of the family of Japheth, Gen. x, 3 ; 1 Chron. i. 6. 
They are represented as an agricultural tribe, breeding horses and mules, in 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 477 

which thuj traded with Tyre, Ezek. xxvii, 14 ; also as a well-armed and 
military nation, Ezek. xxxviii, 6. Some identify this people with the Tau- 
rians ; but Togarmah is more probably the ancient name of Armenia, which 
see. 

To'lad, birth, generation. 1 Chron. iv, 29. See El-Tolad. 

To'phel, lime, a place east of the Arabah, Deut. i, 1. It is probably 
identical with Wady et-Tufileh, in a well-watered, fertile valley south-east 
of the Dead Sea. 

To'phet, and more accurately To'pheth (once, 2 King xxiii, 10.) Various 
interpretations are given, namely: drum; garden; place of burning or bury- 
ing ; abomination; place to be spit upon; pleasant; tabret grove. Tophet lay 
somewhere east or south-east of Jerusalem. It was in " the Valley of the 
Sou of Hinnora," which is " by the entry of the east gate," Jer. vii, 31 ; xix, 2. 
It was in Hinnom, and was perhaps a music, or tabret grove. At first, 
possibly, it formed a part of the royal garden, a spot of special beauty. 
Afterward, being defiled by idols and polluted by the sacrifices of Baal and 
the fires of Moloch, it thus became exceedingly abominable, Isa. xxx, 33 ; 
Jer. vii, 31, 32; xix, 6, 11-14. See Hinnom. 

Trachoni'tis, (Maps 5, 20,) a rugged region, a name occurring only once 
in the Bible, Luke hi, 1. It was probably the Greek equivalent for Argob. 
This country was placed by Augustus under the authority of Herod the 
Great, that it might be cleared of the banditti with which it was overrun. 
Afterward it was a part of the tetrarchy of his son Philip. The modern 
Lejah, south of Damascus, is doubtless identical with Trachonitis. See 
Argob. 

Trip'olis, (Map 8,) the Greek name of an important Syrian city on the 
coast north of Sidon, at one time the point of federal union for Aradus, 
Sidon, and Tyre, 2 Mace, xiv, 1. It was destroyed by Sultan El-Mansour, 
A. D. 1289. The modern representative of Tripolis is Tarablous, a city of 
about fifteen thousand souls ; but the ancient site is probably occupied by 
the small fishing place El Myna. 

Tro'as, (Maps 1, 8,) a city of Lesser Mysia, in Asia Minor, built by King 
Antigonus and by him called Antigonia Troas. Afterward the name was 
changed, in honor of Alexander the Great, to Alexandria Troas. It lay 
south of the site of ancient Troy, opposite the south-east end of Tenedos. 
Paul was twice at Troas, Acts xvi, 8, 11 ; xx, 5, 6; 2 Tim. iv, 13. Here he 
had the heavenly vision which induced him to carry the Gospel message 
into Europe ; and here also occurred the fall and restoration of Eutychus, 
Acts xx, 9, 10. Troas is represented by the modern Eski-Stamboul. Its 
ruins, which are considerable, are now concealed in the heart of a thick 
wood of oaks. 

Trogyl'lium, (Map 8,) a town and cape on the western coast of Asia 
Minor, opposite Samos, at the foot of Mount Mycale. Here St. Paul spent 
a night, Acts xx, 15. An anchorage here is still called St. PauVs Port. 

Tubal, (Map 12,) a flowing forth, a Japhetic people, Gen. x, 2 ; Isa. 
Ixvi, 19; Ezek. xxvii, 13; xxxii, 26; xxxviii, 2, 3; xxxix, 1. They were 
probably the ancestors of the Tibareni, on the south of the Euxine Sea. 

Tubie'ni, Jews of Tob. 2 Mace, xii, 17. See Tob 

Tyre, and Ty'rus, (Maps 1, 5, 8.) rock. Hebrew, Tsor. A celebrated 
city of Phoenicia on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In Isa. 
xxiii, 12, it is called the daughter of Zidon. Tyre was situated on an island ; 



4:78 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

but there was also a city on the shore, and it is questioned which is the more 
ancient. The town on the shore was called Palae-Tyrus, (Old Tyre,) not from 
its being founded before the other — for, indeed, Island-Tyrus was probably the 
older — but from its having achieved a high renown long before its less 
favorably situated island sister. According to Pliny the circumference of 
both cities was reckoned at about nineteen Roman miles. Tyre was a very 
ancient and splendid city, Isa. xxiii, 7, 8 ; Zech. ix, 3, 4. In the division of 
Canaan the border of Asher is described as reaching to the " strong city 
Tyre," Josh, xix, 29. We do not hear of Tyre again till the reign of David, 
at which time we find it under King Hiram. From Tyre were obtained both 
timber and skilled workmen for the splendid edifices built at Jerusalem, 
2 Sam. vi, 11 ; 1 Chron. xiv, 1 : and up to this city David's census extended, 
2 Sam. xxiv, 7. Hiram was in the most friendly alliance, also, with King 
Solomon ; and the perfection of the Tyrian arts and artisans was of great 
value to the Hebrew monarch in carrying out his magnificent projects at the 
Jewish capital, 1 Kings v; vii, 13, 14; 2 Chrou. ii. The timber from Leba- 
non was taken in floats to Joppa, on the Mediterranean, a distance of less 
than seventy-four geographical miles ; while the distance from Joppa to Je- 
rusalem was about thirty-two miles. Thus these two frieudly sovereigns 
were not widely separated, and it is possible that they may have frequently 
met. After Solomon's buildings were completed he.- presented to King Hiram 
twenty cities in Galilee, but they did not please the Tyrian king. Hence 
they were restored to Solomon, who fortified them and colonized them with 
Israelites, 1 Kings ix, 10-14; 2 Chron. viii, 2. The friendship of the two 
kings, however, was not interrupted; and their respective fleets were to- 
gether in the habit of making trading voyages, 1 Kings ix, 25-28; x, 11-22; 
2 Chron. viii, 17, 18; ix, 21. Possibly it was from this close intercourse 
with the Phoenicians that Solomon was led to go after the Zidonian goddess, 
and to have Zidonian women iu his harem, 1 Kings xi, 1, 5. 

Later we learn of the marriage of Ahab, the king of Israel, with Jezebel, 
daughter of the king of Tyre, or " king of the Zidonians ; " a title undoubt- 
edly referring to Ithobalus, king of Tyre and Sidon, 1 Kings xvi, 31. The 
consequences of this marriage proved most fatal. Idol-worship was thus 
established in Israel; and it was also introduced into Judah by the marriage 
of Jehoram with Athaliah, Jezebel's daughter, 2 Kings viii, 18, 26, 27. But 
whatever friendship existed between the Tyrians and the two Israelitish 
kingdoms would be ended by the revolution in Samaria which placed Jehu 
on the throne, and the deserve I execution of Athaliah in Jerusalem. The 
notice of Tyre as hostile to Judah, in Psa. lxxxiii, 7, has been supposed to 
be of an earlier date than the period just alluded to. This is generally re- 
ferred to the great war of Moab and others against Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 
xx, 1. In later times unquestionably there was bitter enmity between the 
Tyrians and the Hebrews. See Joel iii, 4-8; Amos i, 9, 10; and Isaiah's 
"burden of Tyre," Isa. xxxiii. Some critics suppose that Isaiah's prophecy 
referred to the siege of Tyre by Shalmaneser, (not long after 7 2 1 B. C.) Oth- 
ers, with less probability, we think, refer it to a later siege by Nebuchad- 
nezzar. After the siege by Shalmaneser Tyre remained a powerful State, 
with its own kings, Jer. xxv, 22; xxvii, 3; Ezra xxvi, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12; xxvii, 
11; xxviii, 5; Zech. ix, 3. The prophecies concerning Tyre are some of 
them singularly full, giving us details such as have scarcely come down to 
us respecting any city of antiquity. See especially Ezek. xxvii. Nobu- 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 481 

chadnezzar, whose siege Ezekiel predicted, beleagured Tyre for thirteen 
years; and the city, which had just rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, was 
now herself to drink the bitter cup of suffering ; but it is still a disputed 
point whether Nebuchadnezzar actually took it. However this may be, it 
is probable that, on some terms or other, Tyre submitted to the Chaldees, a 
vassal prince being allowed to hold the government. Afterward it passed 
under the Persian rule; and again, by the decree of Cyrus, it supplied the 
materials of the temple at Jerusalem, Ezra iii, 7, when other trade with the 
Jews sprang up, Neh. xiii, 16. Alexander the Great found Tyre in his path 
to glory, and laid siege to the city. This memorable siege was resisted by 
the Tyrians for seven months. The harbors of Tyre (there are said 
to have been two) were blockaded, and a mighty mound was constructed 
which joined the island to the continent. The city was taken, and multi- 
tudes of its inhabitants were put to death or sold for slaves. Ever since 
Tyre has stood upon a spit of land running out into the sea, with no appear- 
ance, so far as ordinary observation goes, of having ever been surrounded 
by the waters. Yet Tyre again revived and was flourishing, first under the 
Syrian monarchy, and then under the Romans, who professed to respect its 
freedom ; though Augustus is said to have taken away some of its liberties. 
A few other notices in the Old Testament besides the above may be found : 
Psa. xlv, 12; Ezek. xxix, 18; Hos. ix, 13; and several in the Apocrypha: 
1 Esdr. v, 56; 2 Esdr. i, 11; Judith ii, 28; 1 Mace, v, 15; 2 Mace, iv, 18, 
33, 44, 49. In the time of Christ Tyre was still a populous place. The 
prophetic curse was yet resting upon the city, but our Lord declared that if 
the mighty works which were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done 
in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented, Matt, xi, 21, 22. Christ once 
visited "the coasts of Tyre," and there performed an act of mercy; but it is 
not probable that he ever entered the city, Matt, xv, 21-29. See also Mark 
iii, 8; vii, 24-31; Luke vi, 17. Yet the Gospel was received there, Actrf 
xxi, 3-6 ; and in later times Tyre was an episcopal see. 

In 1291 A. D. the Saracens gave the final blow to Tyre, from which it 
sank into its present miserable state of ruin. The modern name is Sur. 
The site of Tyre, " the Queen of the Sea," is now unoccupied, except by fish- 
ermen as "a place to spread nets upon." Says Mr. Porter, (Hand-book, 
p. 370:) "The modern town contains about three thousand to four thousand 
inhabitants, about one half being Metawileh, and the other Christians. 
Most of the houses are mere hovels; the streets are narrow, crooked, and 
filthy; and the walls and houses of a superior class are so shattered by earth- 
quakes that they look as if about to fall to pieces. One is reminded at every 
footstep, and by every glance, of the prophecies uttered against this city." 
"A mournful and solitary silence now prevails along the shore which once 
resounded with the world's debate." — Gibbon. Among the ruins are huge 
stones, and granite columns, with other remains of splendid edifices. Many 
fine stones have been removed to other cities. About a mile and a half 
distant from Tyre is the so-called tomb of Hiram, an immense sarcophagus 
of limestone, supposed to contain the remains of that king. 

U'lai, (Map 1,) strong water (1). A river of Snsiana, on whose bar.k3 
Daniel had one of his visions, Dan. viii, 2, 16. It is doubtless the Eulaeus 
of the Greeks and Romans. Mr. Loftus (Chaldea and Susiana) believes it tc 
be a river or artificial channel which connected the Kerkhah (Choaspes) and 



482 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

the Kdrun, (Pasatigris.) The ancient channel may yet be traced, though 
now there is but a small run of water in it. And as the Euheus is said to 
have surrounded the citadel of the Susians, the Kerkhah and this old chan- 
nel were the two streams intended. This may explain the words of DauieL 
" between the two banks of Ulai," that is, between the two streams. But 
the identity of the Eulaeus with any existing stream is a point of dispute 
among geographers. 

Um'mah, community, a city of Asher, Josh, xix, 30. Possibly the site is 
marked by ' Alma, where many ruins exist, on the top of the Ladder of Tyre, 
near the cape Ras en Nakhura. 

U'phaz, (Map 12,) Jer. x, 9 ; Dan. x, 5. See Ophir. 

TJr of the Chaldees, (Map \,)fire, or light, a place where resided the family 
of Terah, Abraham's father, and from which they departed and came unto 
Haran, Gen. xi, 28, 31 ; xv, 7 ; Neh. ix, 7 ; Acts vii, 2. Much difference of opin- 
ion exists concerning the location of Ur. Josephus calls it " a city of the Chal- 
deans." He says that Chaldea was in Mesopotamia, and quotes authority 
to show that it was " above Babylon." Four localities are presented as the 
site of Ur: 1. The modern Urfa, ovOorfa, the classic Edessa. This city is 
about twenty-five miles north of Haran, and contains about sixty thousand 
inhabitants. Ancient Jewish tradition, together with some local sanctuaries 
dedicated to Abraham, its nearness to Haran, the fact that it is east of the 
Euphrates, (compare Josh, xxiv, 3,) — these are the chief claims of Oorfa. 
Several prominent American missionaries and travelers are among those who 
favor this site. Chaldea was a country of very variable bounds at different 
epochs, and some have thought that it may have reached as far north as the 
spot in question. As to the traditions at Oorfa, Dean Stanley says these 
"are at least as strong as those elsewhere." — Jewish Church, i, p. 528. 2. A 
fortress or city on the Tigris, supposed to have been called Ur in the fourth 
century after Christ. This is the modern El Hathr, and it seems to repre- 
sent the ancient Adur (not Ur) mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, 
(xxv, 8.) 3. Warka, or Irak, on the present eastern bank of the Euphrates ; 
but this is doubtless identical with the ancient Erech, which see. 4. Ma- 
geyer, or Umgeyer, ("the mother of bitumen,") on the west of the confluence 
of the Euphrates with the Tigris. The grounds on which Sir H. Rawlinson 
identifies this site with Ur are, (1,) From the name of Urukh, or Hur, found 
on cylinders in the neighborhood; (2.) From the remains of a "Temple of 
the Moon," whence, perhaps, the name of Camarina given to Ur by Eupo- 
letnus; (3.) From the existence of a district called Tbra, whence he derives 
the name of Hebrew. Here are found extensive ruins, comprised in a large 
circuit of low mounds, half a mile in diameter. The chief ruin is that of the 
temple, which was built of large bricks cemented with bitumen. It measures 
one hundred and ninety-eight feet in length and one hundred and thirty- 
three in width. The cylinders, containing inscriptions, which were found 
among the ruins, are now in the British Museum. On one of the bricks was 
this inscription: " Orchamus, King of Ur, is he who has built the temple 
of the Moon-god." Many of the ruins are tombs. Whether Mugeyer occu- 
pies the site of Ur or not is still an open question; but the inscriptions on 
the cylinders found here have proved to be invaluable in sustaining the 
authenticity and truth of Scripture concerning the Babylonian realm. 

Uz, The Land op, perhaps fertile land, the country of Job, Job i, 1 . The 
location of this land has been a suhject of much dispute. Uz ifl first men 



■ 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 483 

tioned in Gen. x, 23, and it was evidently settled by a son of Aram ; com- 
pare 1 Chron. i, 17. The sacred writer declares that Job was " the greatest 
of all the men of the East," Job i, 3. Here "men of the East " is in Hebrew 
Bene-Kedem; and the Bene-Kedem were the people who dwelt in Arabia, 
and especially in the country to the east and south-east of Palestine; com- 
pare Job i, 15-17. In Jer. xxv, 20, Uz is grouped with Egypt, Philistia, 
Edom, and Moab; and in Lam. iv, 21, either Uz seems to have been a part 
of Edom, or some of the Edomites in the prophet's days inhabited Uz. Job's 
friend Eliphaz lived in Teman, and Teman was probably in the southern 
part of Edom. (See Teman.) Uz is by some located in Idumea. Others 
place it in northern Mesopotamia, near Oorfa, (Ur ?) where the name of Job 
is familiar. All through the Jebel Hauran, adjoining the Trachonitis, intel- 
ligent natives hold the old tradition that theirs is the country of the patriarch 
Job. They point out "Job's pasture-ground," "the summer palace of Job," 
"the home of Job," and "the tomb of Job." Mr. Porter has located Uz as 
definitely, perhaps, as it can now be done. He says : " On the whole, there- 
fore, it would appear from the statements and allusions of the sacred writers, 
combined with the remarks of Eusebius and Jerome and the result of mod- 
ern research, that the land of Uz was in Arabia, bordering on Edom west- 
ward, on Trachonitis northward, and extending perhaps indefinitely across 
the pasture-lands of Arabia toward the Euphrates." 

Uzal, perhaps a wanderer, a son of Joktan, (Gen. x, 27 ; ] Chron. i, 21,) 
whose descendants seem to have settled in Yemen. The capital of this dis- 
trict of Arabia long had the name of Uzal. It is now Sanaa. The correct 
reading of Ezek. xxvii, 19, following the Septuagint, would seem to be " Dan 
and Javan, of Uzal, conveyed to your markets," etc., (see Yedan.) At Sanaa 
there are still about fifteen thousand Jews. The commanding position of 
Sanaa, " its strong fortifications, the number of its mosques and minarets, 
and the size of its houses, render it one of the most imposing cities in 
Arabia." 

Uz'zen-She'rah, ear of Sherah, a city founded by Sherah, the daughter 
or descendant of Ephraim, 1 Chron. vii, 24. Probably it was near Beth- 
Horon, and its site may be marked by Beit Sira, a place to the south-east of 
the Upper Beth-Horon. 

STe'dan. In Ezek. xxvii, 19, " Dan also " is considered by some critics an 
incorrect translation. " Dan " seems here entirely out of place. It would 
be better not to translate the Hebrew copulative ve, but, joining it to Dan, 
read»Yedan. Thus Yedan would be considered an Arabian city trading in 
" bright iron, cassia, and calamus." Gesenius and others incline to identify 
this city with the modern Aden, in the province of Yemen. 

Vineyards, Plain of the, Judg. xi, 33. Possibly marked by Beit el- 
Kerm, east of the Jordan, and north of Kerak, where some ruins are found. 

Wilderness of the Wandering, (Map 2.) From the time the Israelites 
left Egypt, until they crossed the Jordan into Canaan, was a period of forty 
years, Deut. i, 3 : viii, 2 ; Josh, v, 6. Had they proceeded in a direct course 
from Egypt to Canaan the journey might have been accomplished m about 
ten or twelve days. The reason for this long and fearful wandering is given 
in Num. xiii, xiv. In Num. xxxiii may be found a list of many stations on 
the way to Canaan. Other notices occur in different chapters of the Penta- 



484 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

touch. The Bible does not give us a full history of the wandering", nor are 
all the places through which this people passed mentioned. Especially have 
we no record of that "great and terrible wilderness" through which the Is- 
raelites wandered thirty-eight years after leaving Kadesh. For ages this 
whole region has borne the name of Bedu et-Tih, " the wilderness of wan- 
dpring." Professor E. H. Palmer has made (1869-1870) a very thorough 
exploration of Et-Tih, with results of the greatest value. (See Palmer's 
Desert of the Exodus.) Although many stations still remain unknown, yet 
some have been so clearly identified in various portions of the route that the 
general line of march has been somewhat satisfactorily determined. Tho 
student is referred to the notice of the places named in the passages above 
alluded to, especially Goshen ; Rameses ; Sea, Red ; Sinai ; Kadesh ; 
Paran; Edom; Moab ; Nebo. 

Zaana'im, removals, a " plain," but more accurately an oak, where Heber 
the Kenite pitched his tent, Judg. iv, 11. See Zaanannim. 

Za' anan, place of flocks, Micah i, 11. See Zenan. 

Zaanan'nim, removals, Josh xix, 33. An oak on the border of Naphtali, 
not far from Kedesh, identical with Zaana'im, which see. There are to this 
day large oak-trees in the green pastures around Kedesh. 

Zabade'ans, 1 Mace, xii, 31, an Arab tribe whose name probably survives 
in Zebdany and Kefr Zebad, two villages on Anti-Lebanon. See Abana. 

Zab'ulon, Matt, iv, 13, 15; Rev. vii, 8. The Greek form of Zebulun. 

Za'ir, small, a place in Idumea where Joram defeated the Edomites, 2 Kings 
viii, 21. Unknown. 

Zalmon, (Hebrew, Tsalmon,) shady, a hill near Shechem, Judg. ix, 48. 
Whether the Salmon of Psa. lxviii, 14, is identical with Zalmon is disputed. 
The Psalmist's words, ''as snow in Salmon," are by some critics rendered, 
u there was snow in the darkness ; " that is, " there is brightness where there 
was darkness," or, "light in calamity." Possibly, but not probably, Salmon 
may be the same as Zalmon. 

Zalmo'nah, (Map 2,) one of the camping places in the wilderness, Num. 
xxxiii, 41, 42. Unknown. 

Zamzum'mims, (Map 3,) noisy people, a race of giants dwelling anciently 
in the territory east of Jordan between the Arnon and the Jabbok. They 
were extirpated by the Ammonites before the time of Moses, Deut. ii, 20, 21. 
See Zuzims. 

Zano'ah, marsh, bog. 

1. A town in Judah in the lowland district, Josh, xv, 34; Neh. iii, 13; 
xi, 30. The site is doubtless marked by Zantia in the Wady Ismail, on the 
slope of a low hill east of Ain Shems, (Beth-Shemesh.) 

2. A town in the highlands of Judah, Josh, xv, 56. Possibly the site ia 
at Khirbet Sa'niit. See Qr. St. Pal. Ex. Fd., Jan., 1875. 

Za'phon, the north, a city of Gad east of the Jordan, Josh, xiii, 27. Lost 
By the term "northward," in Judg. xii, 1, Zaphon may perhaps be intended. 

Za'reah, hornet's town, Neh. xi, 29. See Zorah. 

Za'red, exuberant growth, Num. xxi, 12. See Zered. 

Zar'ephath, (Maps 5, 20,) smelting -house (?); in Luke iv, 26, Sarepta. A 
Phenician town between Tyre and Sidon. It is the place whither Elijah 
was sent to dwell, and where he performed two miracles, 1 Kings xvii, 8-24. 
The name occurs in Obad. xx. Possibly the Canaanitish woman, whose 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



485 



daughter Jesus healed, came from the neighborhood of this city, Matt, xv, 
21-28. Sarepta was made a Latin bishopric by the Crusaders. The ancient 
Zarephath is represented by the modern village of Suva/end. Dean Stanley 
thus speaks of it: " It is a village seated aloft on the top and side of one of 
the hills, the long line of which skirts the plain of Phoenicia, conspicuous 
from far by the white domes of its many tombs of Mussulman saints. . . . 




ZAREPHATH, (SURAFEND.) 

Lt may be worth while to record, as characteristic, the curious confusion of 
the story [of Elijah] which lingers in the Mussulman traditions of the neigh- 
borhood. Close on the sea-shore stands one of these sepulchral chapels 
dedicated to 'El-Khudr,' or 'Mar Elias.' There is no tomb inside, only 
hangings before a recess. This variation from the usual type of Mussulman 
sepulchers was, as we were told by the peasants on the spot, ' Because El- 
Khudr is not yet dead; he flies round and round the world, and those 
chapels are built wherever he has appeared. Every Thursday night and 
Friday morning there is a light so strong within the chapel that no one can 
go in.' " — Sinai and Palestine, p. 271. 

Zar'etan, perhaps cooling, Josh hi, 1 6. See Zereda. 

Za'reth-Sha'har, splendor of the dawn, a city in Reuben on a hill in a 
valley, Josh, xiii, 19. Zara, in Wady Zurka Main, three miles south of tho 
mouth of the Callirrhoe, is doubtless the ancient site. 

Zar'tanah, cooling, 1 Kings iv, 12, apparently near Beth-Shean. See 
Zeredi. 

Zar'than, cooling, 1 Kings vii, 46, apparently near Succoth, m the Jordan 
Valley. Perhaps identical with Tell Sarem, 3m. s. of Beisan (Beth-Shean.) 

Zeba'im, the gazelles. In Ezra ii, 57 ; Neh. vii, 59, we read of a person 
Darned "Pochereth of Zebaim." Some suppose this name to be identical 
with Zeboim. Others translate Zebaim as the plural of the Hebrew word 
signifying antelope or gazelle, and read " Pochereth of the antelopes.'' This 
seems plausible. Possibly this man was a mighty hunter. 



4S6 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Zabo'im and Zebo'im, perhaps roes, one of the " five cities of the plain," 
generally grouped with Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. x, 19; xiv, 2, 8; Deut. 
xxix, 23 ; Hos. xi, 8. Unknown. See SroDiM ; Sea, Salt. 

Zebo'im, The Yalley of, valley of hyenas, a gorge or ravine east of Mioh- 
mas, 1 Sam. xiii, 18. The name is, in Hebrew, totally distinct from that of 
Zeboim, the city. The valley must be looked for among the wild gorges that 
run from the eastern slopes of Benjamin into the Jordan plain. 

Zebulun, (Map 5,) a ?iabilation, the tribe of Israel descended from the 
sixth and last son of Leah, and the tenth born of Jacob, Gen. xxx, 20; 
xxxv, 23. Jacob's prophetic blessing upon Zebulun declared that he should 
dwell "at the haven of the sea," and "his border should be unto Zidon," 
Gen. xlix, 13. At the census of the wilderness Zebulun numbered 57,400, 
Num. i, 30, 31. In the encampment their position was to the east of the 
tabernacle, Num. ii, 5, 6 ; and on the march they followed third under the 
standard of Judah, Num. x, 14-16. At the second census their number was 
60,500, Num. xxvi, 26. Previous to the settlement in Palestine Zebulun 
was one of the six tribes stationed on Ebal to pronounce the curses, Deut. 
xxvii, 13. 

The territory assigned to Zebulun was one of the richest and most beauti- 
ful sections west of the Jordan. The borders are described in Josh, xix, 
10-16 ; but from the fact that many of the ancient cities have disappeared, 
the exact limits of the tribe cannot now be determined. It is doubtful 
whether it touched the Sea of Galilee on the east, Matt, iv, 13. On the 
west it reached to the Kishon and Mount Carmel, and if not to the Mediter- 
ranean, yet, at least, to the territory of Phenicia, called "Zidon" above, 
from the chief city. It embraced a part of the fertile plain of Esdraelon. 
The beautiful wooded hills and ridges extending from Tabor by Nazareth to 
the plain of Akka were also in Zebulun. The four northern tribes, Zebulun, 
Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, were very much isolated from the other 
tribes. Their peculiar position threw them into closer intercourse with 
their Gentile neighbors — especially with the commercial Pheuicians. Thus 
they became somewhat different in manners and customs from their brethren 
of the southern tribes. Their speech also became peculiar. Thu3 it was 
said to Peter, " Thy speech bewrayeth thee," Matt, xxvi, 73. Much of the 
purity of their religion was also lost, 2 Chron. xxx, 10-18. Although this 
tribe was slow, as were many of their brethren, to drive out their enemies, 
yet Zebulun became distinguished among the northern tribes for warlike 
spirit and devotion. The noble ode of Deborah and Barak in Judg. v, re- 
counts the splendid triumph in which Zebulun bore so prominent a part. 
Scientific skill seems also to have been acquired by this tribe, and there 
came " out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer," Judg. v, 14. 
In David's army there were " of Zebulun . . . expert in war, with all in- 
struments of war, fifty thousand which could keep rank, not of double 
heart," 1 Chron. xii, 33. Of their liberality in supplying the wants of the 
army honorable mention is made, verse 40. 

The northern tribes were first carried away captive into Assyria by 
Tiglath-Pileser, 2 Kings xv, 29; and from this point the history of distinct 
tribes ceases. On the return from captivity the term Jews was applied to 
all the tribes in common. The territory of Zebulun was greatly honored iu 
later times by the frequent presence of Jesus. Here he performed miracles, 
and here were uttered many of his parables and discourses. The beautiful 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 487 

prophecy of Isaiah (be, 1, 2) was fulfilled, and "the people which sat in 
darkness saw great light," Matt, iv, 13-16. 

Ze'dad, (Map 4,) mountain-side, a city on the northern boundary of Pales- 
tine, Num. xxxiv, 8 ; Ezek xlvii, 15. It is probably identical with Sudud, on 
the road from Baalbec to Hums, (Emesa.) 

Ze'lah, a rib, the side, a city of Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 28. Here was the 
family tomb of Kish, the father of Saul, 2 Sam. xxi, 14; and Zelah was prob- 
ably the native place of Saul, the first king of Israel. Its site is unknown. 

Zel'zah, shade from the sun, a place on the boundary of Benjamin, not far 
from Rachel's tomb, 1 Sam. x, 2. About half a mile westward from this 
sepulcher is the village of Beit Jala; this may probably be identical with 
Zelzah. 

Zemara'im, perhaps double mount 

1. An ancient town in Benjamin, Josh, xviii, 22. Possibly the site is 
marked by Es-Sumra, four miles north of Jericho. 

2. Mount Zemaraim, in the highlands of Ephraim, 2 Chron. xiii, 4. Un- 
known. 

Zem'arite, The. A tribe of Hamites, Gen. x, 1 8 ; 1 Chron. i, 1 6. These 
people may have lived at the ancient Simyra. The site of this city is pos- 
sibly marked by the ruins called Sumrah, north of Tripolis. The Zemarites 
possibly emigrated southward and gave their name to Zemaraim. 

Ze nan, place of flocks, a place in the lowlands of Judah, apparently near 
the western coast, Josh, xv, 37. It is perhaps the same as the Zaanan of 
Micah i, 11. A few miles south-east of Ascalon is a modern village called 
Jenin, and this possibly may represent Zenan. 

Ze'phath, watch-tower, Judg. i, 7. See Hormah. 

Zeph'athah, Valley of, vale of the vjatch-tower, near Mareshah, 2 Chron. 
xiv, 10. A deep valley is found near the site of Mareshah, running down 
to Beit Jibrin, (Eleutheropolis,) and thence into the plain of Philistia. See 
Mareshah. 

Zer, flint, a city of Naphtali, probably near the Lake of Genesaretli, 
Josh, xix, 35. 

Ze'red, exuberant growth, or willow-brook, a valley separating Moab and 
Edom, Deut. ii, 13, 14; in Num. xxi, 12, Zared. Perhaps it is identical with 
the Wady el-Ahsy. 

Zer'eda, cooling, a town in Ephraim, in the plain of Jordan, 1 Kings 
xi, 26; 2 Chron. iv, 17. Possibly it is the same as Zaretan, Josh, hi, 16; 
Zererath, Judg. vii, 22 ; Zartanah, 1 Kings iv, 12 ; Zeredathah, 2 Chron. iv, 17, 
and Zarthan, 1 Kings vii, 46. While these places are probably identical, yet 
there are difficulties in the way. Some place Zarthan east of Jordan. Oth- 
ers claim that Zereda was on a hill, while the other places seem to havo 
been in the plain. The site of Zereda is unknown. 

Zeredathah, 2 Chron. iv, 17. See Zereda. 

Zer'erath, Judg. vii, 22. See Zereda. 

Zid dim, the sides, a place in Naphtali, Josh, xix, 35. The site is possibly 
marked by the village of Kefr-Hattin, a few miles west of the Sea of Galilee. 

Zi'don, (Maps 5, 20,) a fishery. Hebrew, Tsidon. In Josh, xi, 8, Great 
Zidon, (margin, Zidon-Rabbah.) Sidon (the Greek form) in Gen. x, 15, 19; 
in the Apocrypha generally, and in the New Testament. Zidon was an 
ancient and opulent Phenician city. It was situated on the Mediterranean 
coast, on the northern slope of a small promontory which juts out from a 



488 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 




SIDON. 



low plain (less than 
two miles broad) be- 
tween the Lebanon 
and the sea. It was 
nearly twenty mile a 
north of Tyre, and 
about forty miles south 
of- Berytus, (Beirut.) 
Zidon, though usually 
associated in Scripture 
with Tyre, was of ear- 
lier origin ; and proba- 
bly the latter city was 
originally a colony of 
the former. In Isa. 
xxiii, 12, Tyre is styled 
the "daughter of Zi- 
don." At the conquest 
of Canaan the Israel- 
ites found " Great Zi- 
don " the metropolis 
of a district which 
seems to have em- 
braced the States of Zidon, Tyre, and Aradus. The inhabitants of this dis- 
trict are called Zidonians, or Sidonians, and are distinguished from the resi- 
idents of the city, Deut. hi, 9; Judg. iii, 3; x, 12, etc. 

At the division of Canaan among the tribes Asher's inheritance is said to 
have reached "unto great Zidon," Josh, xix, 28. (See Zebuldn; compare 
Gen. xlix, 13.) But Asher did not possess Zidon, Judg. i, 31; iii, 3, and 
the Zidonians oppressed Israel, at least for a time, Judg. x, 1 2. These peo- 
ple were noted for their luxurious habits — their "careless manner," Judg. 
xviii, 1 ; and celebrated for their manufactures and works of art, and for 
their commerce, 1 Kings v, 6 ; 1 Chron. xxii, 4; Ezra iii, 7. Profane 
authors also testify to their wealth and skill. Thus Homer speaks of the 
Zidonian silver bowl bestowed by Achilles as a prize ; and he tells also of 
another similar bowl of silver, gold-edged, a gift from the king of the Zido- 
nians, which Menelaus gave Telemachus. Hecuba also offered to Minerva a 
beautiful robe wrought by Zidonian women. Pliny and others speak of the 
merchants of Zidon, of their linen, glass, etc. Zidon long remained a place 
of power and wide sovereignty ; but it was at length eclipsed by its own 
colony, Tyre, to which city her noblest and most skillful children seem to 
have fled. Thus, for a time, Zidon almost disappeared from history. 

In the time of David and Solomon we find that, although Zidon still re- 
tained her kings, nevertheless the kings of Tyre gradually assumed the title 
of "king of Zidon," and embraced both cities under their jurisdiction. Tyre 
manned her fleets with Zidonian sailors, and Hiram furnished Zidonian 
workmen for Solomon's temple, 1 Chron. xxii, 4; 1 Kings v, 6; comparo 
Ezok. xxvii, S. But when Shalmaneser marched against Phenicia, Zidon 
probably regained its former rank; for then we read again of "Kings of 
Zidon," Jer. xxv, 22 ; xxvii, 3. Doubtless, however, these kings were not 
independent, but, by submitting to its conquerors, Zidon was enriched at 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 480 

the expense of Tyre. In the expedition of Xerxes against Greece the Sido- 
nians furnished the best ships in the whole fleet. When Xerxes reviewed his 
fleet he sat in a Sidonian galley, under a golden canopy ; and at his council, 
next to Xerxes sat the king of Sidon. above the king of Tyre. Sidon re- 
volted against Artaxerxes Ochus, and was then nearly destroyed, (B. C. 351.) 
Compare the predictions in Jer. xxvii, 6, 11; xlvii, 4; Ezek. xxviii, 21-23; 
xxxii, 30 ; Joel iii, 4-8. The city was rebuilt, and became a provincial town, 
but of little importance, and, happy to rid itself of the Persian 3 r oke at any 
cost, gladly opened its gates to Alexander the Great. Under Alexander's 
S}'rian successors the place rose in population and importance, sometimes 
under Syrian, and again under Egyptian kings. At length Sidon fell under 
Roman dominion ; but still it retained much of commercial importance. At 
this period we find it referred to in the New Testament. Jesus preached 
"in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon," and wrought there a miracle, Matt, xv, 
21-28 ; Mark vii, 24-31 ; though we have no evidence that he ever entered 
the cities themselves. From Sidon many people went out to hear Christ, 
Mark iii, 8; Luke vi, 17 ; and the Saviour declared "it shall be more toler- 
able for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment " than for Chorazin and Bethsaida, 
where so many mighty works had been wrought, Luke x, 13, 14. The Si- 
donians having displeased Herod, they flattered him, Acts xii, 20. "When 
St. Paul " touched at Sidon " he found there Christian friends, Acts xxvii, 3. 

Sidon was afterward known as Saida, and Sagtta or Sagitia. The invad- 
ing army of the Crusaders did not dare to attack the city at first in 1009; 
and eight years later, when vast preparations were made, they were bought 
off by the inhabitants for a high price. In 1111, however, the place was 
captured after a defense of six weeks. For seventy-six years it was held 
by the Christians, when it was seized and its fortifications destroyed by 
Sultan Saladin. After various fortunes, it became in the fifteenth century 
a port of Damascus, and a link between Europe and Asia. In the many 
wars that afterward occurred between the Druses and the Turks this city 
suffered greatly ; yet down to the close of the eighteenth century it was the 
central point for export and import. At length (in 1790) the rebellious Jez- 
zar Pasha gave a fatal blow to Saida by expelling from the city not only the 
French consulate, but also the French merchants. 

Saida is now a poor and miserable place, without trade or manufactures 
worthy of the name; yet it presents a beautiful appearance, surrounded as 
it is by fragrant gardens and orchards. The population is estimated at about 
nine thousand, of whom seven thousand are Moslems, and five hundred 
Jews. The streets are narrow, crooked, and dirty; but thehouses are large, 
and some of them even elegant. The architectural ruins about Saida are not 
extensive ; but this is the only spot in Phenicia where Phenician monuments 
with Phenician inscriptions have as yet been found. In one of the many 
sepulchral caves which abound in the vicinity a very remarkable sarcopha- 
gus was discovered, January, 1855. It is of black syenite, the lid of which 
represents the form of a mummy, with the uncovered face of a man. On 
the top of the lid is a Phenician inscription of twenty-two lines, each line con- 
taining about forty-five letters, all in perfect preservation. Another inscrip- 
tion in six very long lines is at the upper end of the sarcophagus beneath 
the head. After adjuring posterity not to disturb the remains of the great 
king which lie within, the inscription proceeds: "I am Ashmanezer, King 
of the Sidonians; son of Tabinth, King of the Sidonians; grandson of 

23 



490 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



Ashmanezer, King of the Sido- 
nians; and my mother, Iinmi- 
ashtoreth, priestess of Astarte, 
our sovereign Queen." Other 
interesting points follow. No 
date is found, but its age is 
variously estimated from the 
eleventh to the fourth century 
B. C. This exceedingly valua- 
ble monument is now in the 
Museum of the Louvre, Paris. 
Speaking of the Phenician 
tombs at Saida, Captain Warren 
(Palestine Exploration Fund, 
Quar. Statement, Dec, 1869) 
says: "I was disappointed to 
find that the nature of the rock 
in which they are cut prevents 
their being finished off in any 
manner, and the sides in many 
cases have been coated with 
plaster, so that they now have 
a very dilapidated appearance. 
I could neither see nor hear of 
any red paint marks on the 
plaster, similar to those we 
have found on the walls of the 
Haram Esh-Sherif. The sar- 
cophagi are generally cut out 
of the solid mountain limestone, 
(the tombs being sandstone,) 
and have devices on them 
which I have seen in Pales- 
tine." Concerning some small 
pieces of pottery also found at 
Saida he says : " They are pre- 
cisely similar to what we find at Jerusalem in the middle of our sections, 
below the early Christian pottery, and above the pottery found at the south- 
east angle of the Haram." On the pedestal of an exhumed column seen by 
Captain "Wilson he found an inscription in Greek dedicated to the Emperor 
Hadrian. Masons' marks were also discovered on some of the stones. 

Zik'lag, (Map 2,) perhaps outpouring of a fountain, a city in the south of 
Judah, Josh, xv, 31, but afterward given to Simeon, xix, 5. It was at times, 
however, subject to the Philistines of Gath, whose king, Achish, bestowed it 
upon David for a residence ; after which it was re-incorporated with Judah, 
1 Sam. xxvii, 6; xxx, 1, 14, 26; 2 Sam. i, 1 ; 1 Chron. iv, 30; Neh. xi, 28! 
Its site is supposed by some to be marked by 'Asluj or Kaslwj. 

Zin, (Map 2,) a low palm-tree. The wilderness of Zin was a part of the 
Arabian desert on the south of Palestine, Num. xiii, 21, 22; xxxiv, 3. It 
joined the territory of Judah, Josh, xv, 1, 3, and lay west of Idumea, Num. 
xx, 1; xxvii, 14; xxxiii, 36. In the last named passages it is said that 




SARCOPHAGUS FOUND AT SADDA. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 



491 



Kadesli was in Zin, while in Num. xiii, 26, Kadesh was in Paran. This 
apparent contradiction is readily explained from the fact that Zin was the 
northern part of the great wilderness of Paran. 

Zi'on, (Maps 7, 9,) dnj, sunny mount, (in the New Testament, Sion.) The 
citadel of Jerusalem, or the "upper city." This height was held by the 
Jebusites until the reign of David, who took it by storm. " Then David 
dwelt in the fort and called it the city of David. And David built round 
about from Millo aud inward," 2 Sam. v, 9; 1 Chron. xi, 7. Zion was the 
highest point within the city limits, having an elevation of two thousand five 
hundred and thirty-nine feet above the level of the Mediterranean, (see Map 11.) 
On Zion David's house was built; and the household for his families was 
there ; and the houses for the ark of God, 1 Chron. xiv, 1 ; xv, 1,29; 1 Kings 
viii, 1; 2 Chron. v, 2; Psa. ix, 11; xiv, 7. During the latter part of King 
David's life Moriah was chosen as the abode of God^ name, 1 Chron. xvii ; 
2 Chron. hi, 1. Thus we find the term Zion sometimes' employed so as to 
include the whole city, thus meaning Jerusalem, Psa. cxlix, 2 ; lxxxviii, 2 ; 
Isa. xxxiii* 14 ; Joel ii, 2, etc. After the captivity the name of Sion was 
given to the eminence on which the Temple was built. In Heb. xii, 22, 
and Rev. xiv, 1, Mount Sion is employed symbolically to express the glorious 
habitation of the redeemed. Zion is almost universally understood to be the 
south-western hill of Jerusalem. Some, however, have attempted to identify 
it with the Temple Hill, and others with Akra, on the northern side of the 
Holy City. But these attempts are so far complete failures. 

" On the summit of 
Zion is a level tract 
extending in length, 
from the Citadel to 
the Tomb of David, 
about 600 j^ards ; and 
in breadth, from the 
city wall to the east- 
ern side of the Ar- 
menian convent, 
about 250 yards. A 
much larger space, 
however, was avail- 
able for building pur- 
poses, and was at one 
time occupied. Now 
not more than one 
half of this space is 
inclosed by the mod- 
ern wall, while fully 
one third of that in- 
closed is taken up 
with the barrack- 
yards, the convent- 
gardens, and the 
waste ground at the city gate All without the wall, with the exception 
of the cemeteries and the cluster of houses round the Tomb of David, is now 
cultivated in terraces, and thinly sprinkled with olive-trees." "At the Yd/a 




MOSQUE OF DAVID ON ZION. 



4:92 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

Gate the traveler will also notice the massive walls and deep fosse of the 
citadel, (see cut on page 174.) One of its towers claims attention from the 
antique masonry of the lower part, consisting of very large stones beveled 
like those of the temple walls. Recent researches have shown that this 
tower, as well as that at the north-west angle of the citadel, is founded on 
a scarped rock, which rises about forty feet above the bottom of the fosse. 
This appears to be that ' rocky crest ' on which Josephus informs us the three 
great towers on the northern brow of Zion were founded. The researches 
of the Count de Vogue have contributed greatly to increase our knowledge 
of this section of the Tyropceon Yalley. He found that its depth near the 
citadel is thirty-three feet below the present surface, and farther eastward 
the bottom of the valley is twenty-six feet beneath the level of the Street 
of David, and nearly eighty feet lower than the top of Zion. At one spot a 
fragment of the ancient northern wall was laid bare. It was built close 
against the precipitous side of the hill, and though no less than thirty-nine 
feet in height, only rose to the top of the cliff behind it. Here, then, are 
data sufficient by which to determine the northern limits of Zion.* — Porter's 
Hand-book, p. 87. • The tower above-mentioned is generally called the 
"Tower of David," and is considered identical with Hippicus, one of the 
three massive towers built by Herod the Great. 

The Mosque of David is supposed to cover the tombs of David, Solomon, 
and the other kings of Judah. Various other localities, however, are as- 
signed (with very faint probability) as the burial place of the kings. In 
1839 Sir Moses Montefiore and his party were admitted to the mosque. 
Through a trellised doorway they saw the " tomb," but they were not per- 
mitted to enter. A few years ago an American lady, daughter of the emi- 
nent missionary, Dr. Barclay, was enabled by the kindness of a Mohammedan 
lady to enter and sketch the tomb. Miss Barclay describes the room as 
small, but gorgeously furnished. " The tomb is apparently an immense 
sarcophagus of rough stone, and is covered by green satin tapestry, richly 
embroidered with gold. A satin canopy of red, blue, green, and yellow 
stripes hang over the tomb, and another piece of black velvet tapestry, em- 
broidered in silver, covers a door in one end of the room, which they said 
leads to a cave underneath. Two small silver candlesticks stand before this 
door, and a little lamp hangs in a window near it, which is kept constantly 
burning." — City of the Great King, p. 212. See Jerusalem. 

Zi'or, smallness, a city in the highlands of Judah, perhaps near Hebron, 
Josh, xv, 54. Possibly the site, is marked by Sa'ir, between Hebron and 
Tekua. 

Ziph, a flowing. 

1. A city in the south of Judah, Josh, xv, 24. Unknown. 

2. A city in the highlands of Judah, Josh, xv, 55. When pursued by 
Saul, David frequented the wilderness of Ziph, 1 Sam. xxiii, 14, 15, 24; 
xxvi, 2. This place was fortified by Rehoboam. 2 Chron. xi, 8. Condor, 
with much plausibility, identifies Ziph with Khirbtt Khoreisa, neai Tell Ziph. 
Here are some very ancient bell-mouthed cisterns; also some more modern 
ruins.. See American Palestine Exploration Statement, January, 1875. 

Zi'phron or Ziph'ron, sweet odor, a city in the north of Palestine, Num. 
xxxiv, 9. It lay south-east of Hamath, toward Palmyra. There is a modern 
village called Zifrun, about fourteen hours north-east of Damascus. Here 
are found extensive ruins which may represent the ancient Ziphron. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 493 

Ziz, a flower, 2 Chron. xx, 16, a pass, possibly the large ruin near modern 
TvMa. called Khirbet Aziz. 

Zo'an, (Map 8,) perhaps low region, or place of departure, a very ancient 
city of Lower Egypt, Num. xiii, 22, called by the Greeks Tanis. This city 
seems to have been one of the chief capitals, or royal abodes of the Pha- 
raohs, Isa. xix, 11, 13; xxx, 4. The Psalmist speaks of the " field of Zoan " 
as the scene of God's marvelous works in the time of Israel's deliverance, 
Psa. lxxviii, 12. 43. Tradition says it was the residence of the court in the 
time of Moses. The overthrow predicted by Ezekiel (xxx, 14) overtook the 
city; " fire has been set in Zoan," and the " field " is desolate. The modern 
name of the site is San. Very extensive ruins remain. There are mounds 
of unusual height, which are rilled with fragments of pottery. Remains of 
a vast temple and its inclosure bear the name of Rameses the Great. Of the 
ruins of Zoan Mr. Macgregor {Rob Roy on the Jordan, Nile, etc., 1870) says: 
" They are wide-spread, varied, and gigantic. Here you see about a dozen 
obelisks, all fallen, all broken ; twenty or thirty great statues, all monoliths 
of porphyry and granite, red and gray; a huge sarcophagus (as it seemed to 
mej was of softer stone, and enormous pillars, lintel and wall stones are piled 
in heaps one over the other, most of them still buried in the earth. The 
polished statues are of various sizes, and of beautiful workmanship. Some 
sit with half the body over the ground, others have only a leg in the air. 
One leans its great bulk sideways, covered up to the ear; another lies with 
its chair and legs appearing, but the head is buried deep out of sight in the 
mud. The buildings seem to have formed a temple with three outlying edi- 
fices. Some of the obelisks must have fallen long before the dust and refuse 
of ages had filled the courtly halls, then tenantless. Others fell on this new 
stratum, and these now lie, say ten feet higher than the floor, while a few 
of the taller columns lasted perhaps for another thousand years, and then 
they toppled over on the lonely plain with a crash unheard by a regardless 
world. . . . Many as are the celebrated ruins I have seen, I do not recollect 
any that impressed me so deeply with the sense of fallen and deserted mag- 
nificence." Although the name of Rameses the Great most frequently 
occurs amid the ruins, yet other names are found, among them that of 
Osirtasen III., whose time ascends nearly to that of Joseph. 

Zo'ar, (Map 5,) smallness, one of the "cities of the plain," Gen. xiii, 10, 
originally called Bela, Gen. xiv, 2, 8. By the intercession of Lot this "little 
city " was spared from the destruction which overtook Sodom and the other 
cities, Gen. xix, 20-30. Zoar was the limit of Moses's view from Pisgah in 
one direction, Deut. xxxiv, 3. The prophets Isaiah (xv, 5) and Jeremiah 
(xlviii, 34) reckon Zoar among the cities of Moab. 

Much controversy exists concerning the position of the cities of the pl.iin. 
See Sfddim; Sodom: Sea. Salt. Zonr is generally located at the south- 
eastern angle of the Dead Sea. Josephus places it east of the De.id Sea. 
Jerome's notices of the place indicate a site near this sea in the southern 
border of Moab. Eusebius describes the Salt Sea as between Jericho and 
Zoar. Ptolemy locates Zoar in Arabia Petrrea. Abulfeda, the Arab his- 
torian, says that Zoar (or Zoghar) lay near the Dead Sea and the Ghor. 

Late travelers find ruins about the site, as indicated in our map. Re- 
cently, however, some eminent scholars locate Zoar near the north end of 
the Dead Sea, eastward. Dr. Tristram claims (1873) to have discovered the 
site of Zoar in the extensive ruins at Zi'ara. a little west of Nebo. On the 



494 BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 

etymology of the names Tristram observes: "There is an identity, more exact 
than often occurs in ancient and modern nomenclature, between the Hebrew 
. . . Zo'ar and the Arabic Zi'ara." — The Land of Moab, pp. 340-U5. 

Zo'ba, and Zo'bah, station, a portion of Syria. It was one of the powerful 
kingdoms of Aram, hence its full name Aram-Zobah. See Aram. It em- 
braced that section of Northern Syria which lies • between Hamath and the 
Euphrates, and it was so closely connected with Hamath that that great 
city was sometimes called Hamath-Zobah. Compare 1 Chron. xviii, 3-9 ; 
xix, 6; 2 Chron. viii, 3. The king of Zobah was defeated by Saul, 1 Sam. 
xiv, 47. The people of Zobah were very hostile to King David, and espe- 
cially troublesome to Solomon, 1 Kings xi, 23-25. David defeated their 
king, taking from him his chariots and horses, shields of gold, and much 
brass, 2 Sam. viii, 3, 5, 12; compare x, 6, 8 ; 1 Chron. xviii, 3-9; xix, 6. 
Solomon also " prevailed against " Hamath-Zobah, 2 Chron. viii, 3. One of 
David's warriors is said to be the son of Nathan of Zobah, 2 Sam. xxiii, 36. 
Zobah is mentioned in the title of Psalm lx. " The rich plains of Hamath 
and Zobah are now swept by the Bedawin ; yet some remnants of industry 
and civilization linger round the walls of Aleppo, Hamah, and Hums." — 
Porter. 

Zo'heleth, serpent, a stone "by En-Rogel," by which Adonijah "slew 
sheep and oxen and fat cattle," 1 Kings i, 9. On the western face of the 
rocky plateau, which slightly overhangs the valley of the village of Siloam, 
steps are rudely cut, by which one can climb directly from the valley to the 
midst of the village. Along this troublesome and even dangerous way ha- 
bitually pass the women of Siloam who come to fill their vessels at the so- 
called " Virgin's Fount." This passage and the ledge of rock in which it is 
cut are called by the fellahin " Ez Zehwele." This is doubtless the stone 
of Zoheleth. If this identity be established, En-Rogel must be put at the 
Virgin's Fountain, and not at Bir Eyub. See En-Rogel. 

Zo'phim, watchers. The " field of Zophim " was the place on the " top of 
Pisgah " to which Balak brought Balaam, that this false prophet might see 
the camp of Israel. Num. xxiii, 14. 

Prof. Paine locates Zophim between Jebel Neba" and ' } Ayiun Musd. "For 
the purpose of observation the place is peculiarly adapted. Evidently it 
was the point from which Moab in its alarm and distress looked down upon 
the vast array of the children of Israel, abiding over against thern." — Iden- 
tification of Pisgah, (January, 1875.) 

Zo'rah and Zo'reah, hornets 1 town ; in Nell, xi, 29, Zareah ; a town in the 
low country of Judah, afterward assigned to Dan, Josh, xv, 33; xix, 41. 
This was the birthplace of Samson, and also his burial place, Judg. xiii, 2, 25 ; 
xvi, 31. The Danites sent a marauding expedition from Zorah to seek an 
inheritance, Judg. xviii. It was fortified by Rehoboam, 2 Chron. xi, 10; and 
inhabited after the return from captivit}^, Neh. xi, 29. The place still exists 
under the name of Sur'ah. It is now a miserable hamlet, lying on a sharp, 
conical hill two miles north of Beth-Shemesh. 

Zo'rathites, 1 Chron. iv, 2. Perhaps inhabitants of Zorah. 

Zo'reah, Josh, xv, 33. See Zorah. 

Zo'rites, 1 Chron. ii, 54. Probably inhabitants of Zorah. 

Zuph, flag, sedge, Deut. i, 1, margin. See Sea, Red. 

Zuph, honey-comb, a district visited by Saul, 1 Sam. ix, 5. The "land of 
Zuph " was doubtless south of Benjamin ; but its precise location is not yet 






BIBLE GEOGRAPHY. 495 

determined. Possibly the name may be preserved in Sola, about seve:i 
miles west of Jerusalem. See Ramathabi-Zophim. 

Zu'zims, (Map 3,) perhaps throwing out, (as sprouts.) possibly so named 
from the fertility of the country ; but the etymology is very obscure. The 
Zuzims were an ancient people living on the east of the Jordan, Gen. xiv, 5. 
Their territory is supposed to have been the same as that afterward occupied 
by the Ammonites, and thus the tribe itself appears to have been identical 
with the Zamzummims, Deut. ii, 20, 21. Doubtless they were allied by blood 
to the Rephaim, and those other races of giants who were the original pos- 
sessors of the Land of Canaan. 



THE END. 



7 1899 



